


Seizing Sang Sorenson

by EsaAnnie



Category: The Ghost Bird Series - C. L. Stone
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 11:26:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EsaAnnie/pseuds/EsaAnnie





	1. Prologue

** Third Pov **

 

Sang's eyes opened as she awoke in a strange, white room. The last thing she remembered was celebrating her fortieth birthday last week, and intended on going to see the new foster family she was placing a child with tomorrow.

 

"Sang Sorenson... you lived a relatively short life, didn't you?" A mysterious female's voice said.

Sang sat up from where she was on the ground and looked around, but she couldn't see anyone else in the room with her.

 

"Yes," she answered. "But what does that matter?"

 

"Don't you see? This is purgatory, Sang. You are in a state between heaven and hell, not because you have done wrong, but because there has been wrong done upon yourself." This time when the voice spoke, the body of a young woman accompanied it.

 

She was like a mirror image of Sang herself.

 

"Mom?" Sang whispered.

 

"Yes, sweetie," Melody stated, placing a hand on Sang's cheek. "I've watched you grow into such a beautiful woman, and so many things have happened that I wish I could have been there to change. What your father and that bitch of a stepmother did to you was unforgiveable, and those boys didn't help matters either."

 

"Mom..." Sang trailed off weakly. She couldn't help but to picture her last moments with each of her guys, tears and boiling anger rising in her at the memories.

 

"You don't have to say a word, Sang. I saw everything, and I saw why did what they did. It doesn't make it all okay, but I know their reasoning."

 

"Can you tell me?" Sang asked softly. "Please?"

 

Melody shook her head. "I can't, Sang. Just know that they are safe."

 

"Why the fuck not?" She snapped.

 

"You've been given a second chance, Sang. A second chance to live your life your way, instead of through the remembrance of the boys."

 

"But...how?" Sang asked.

 

"When you wake up next, you'll be fifteen again and it'll be a month before you moved to Charleston, South Carolina. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with the information, but you'll now have the choice to change your life, for the better or the worst."

 

"Do I have to leave right now?" Sang whispered.

 

"No, but soon. The longer you're up here, the harder it'll be for you to want to go back," Melody explained gently.

 

"I don't know if I want to go back," Sang whispered.

 

"You'll see me again, Sang. It may not be soon, but we'll meet again. I died before I was supposed to, but it was all so we could be meeting here today. I gave up my chance to go back when I saw your fate, so you'd have the chance someday. This next lifetime, will be you painting out your own tapestry of fate; I can't tell you what it's going to be like because it is unwritten, but just know that you need to do what you need to do to survive. I can't imagine it will be easy, but I will be proud of every situation you make, as long as you're happy."

 

"Will I be able to remember everything that happened in my previous life? Will I even be able to remember this conversation?" Sang asked softly.

 

"Yes, you'll remember everything. But for the boys, they will remember nothing about you or about who you are. It is up to you whether you tell them, or even if you go to find them in this lifetime. Use your memories to your advantage, even the little Academy training the boys gave you in the beginning. Express yourself this time around, instead of bottling every negative emotion up."

 

Sang paused for a minute before speaking again. "Can I ask for one last thing? Just one hug, just so I can hold out until we see each other again?"

 

Melody nodded. "Yes, Sang. Anything for you."

 

She leaned forward, enveloping her daughter in her arms, and they sat there for hours, it seemed.

 

Eventually, Sang broke the hug. "I'm ready now," she whispered.

 

Melody smiled, placing a hand on each side of Sang's head. "You'll wake up with a headache, or so I've heard. Remember, my daughter, live for no reason but for yourself this time."

 

A blinding white light filled the room, and Sang closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

 

But, when she opened her eyes to a pounding migraine, she realized that this was  _actually_  happening. She was given a second chance to live her whole life.

 

"Sang, get down here. Now!" Her stepmother yelled upstairs. "These boxes aren't going to start packing themselves!"

 

Sang eyes steeled, and she was filled with resolve.

 

Live for herself, her mother told her. Well, she was about to do just that.


	2. Chapter 1

** Sang's Pov **

 

I was currently leaning against the brick building in the shadows of the night. If I read my wristwatch correctly, it couldn't be more than just past one a.m. Yet another couple walked past me tonight and I pulled my dark black hoodie tighter around me, hiding my face within its comforting shade.

 

 _'Just because it's a lovey-dovey holiday, doesn't mean you need throw it in people's faces...'_  I thought, barfing internally as the man pull the woman under his arm and kissed her forehead. Talk about typical...

 

I had been trying to lay low while I stayed in Charleston, but a few nights ago, I became restless from being idle for too long. I tried to avoid Charleston for the five years since I left Illinois, but something about it kept calling me back. I'd traveled all around the eastern coast, but the southern states had become a favorite of mine. They always trusted that a tiny girl walking down the street at night was always the victim, never the culprit.

 

They were stupid, but trusting.

 

I liked that.

 

I was currently looking for my next victim for an hour now, deciding that I would try to get one before catching the bus back home. I could have called a taxi, but where's the fun in that? Cars could be followed and tracked down, making my game come to an early end.

 

I was gravely disappointed when the bus pulled up at the stop not too far from me, cutting off my fun sooner than I had hoped. I grabbed my bag and got on the bus, scanning the bus' interior for a seat, finding it almost empty before my eyes landing on an interesting form. I walked down the aisle of the bus until I stopped at just what I was looking for all night.

 

A boy no more than twenty-one with dirty blonde hair sat on the bus in the back. He was fast asleep, his cheeks tinted pink and his breath slow. His too slender frame was slumped against the window when I put my bag in the overhead above and sat down beside him.

_'He looks like he hasn't eaten in a few days... It would be all too easy to slide my knife out of my pocket and lodge it in his side. He'd be so beautiful as the life drained from his face, clinging on to me as he hoped I would put him out of his misery. It would be so easy, and part of my pain would go away...'_

The bus jolted forward as it closed its doors, and the boy slumped against my side, his slender frame pressed warmly against mine. I looked down at his thinner frame and couldn't resist bringing one hand to the boy's face, my thumb brushing his soft eyelashes, then his cheeks, then those plump, pink lips...

 

The boy let out a soft sigh and nuzzled against my hand, sleepy. I felt a spark of what felt like a tiny electric current ran up my arm, creating a warm feeling inside of me that I'd never felt in this lifetime. Once it began faded away, I chuckled softly, before I resumed the tracing of his lower lip. He let out a soft whine, his face flushed pink. He squirmed slightly and leaned his head in the crook of my shoulder, his lips soft on my fingers.

_'What happened to you? If I decide to keep you, Luke, will you screw me over, again?'_


	3. Chapter 2

** Luke’s Pov **

 

I was jolted once again on this stupid bus and I cracked an eye open slowly to be met with a pretty face. Her dark green eyes shining down at me through a dark black hood on her head, the intensity of her gaze lessoned by blonde locks hanging in her face. I studied my surroundings, angry at myself for falling asleep. I was on a mission, even if Kota told the rest of the team a different story. He believed that the mission to catch whoever was killing innocent people in the Charleston area was best handled by waiting for the person to mess up. However, I was a man of action. No one this sneaky would trip up so easily. I would know.

 

Gabe tried to tell me to wait until morning, but something inside me told me that nothing good would come from waiting, even if it was only a few hours. I had to act when I did, or we’d never get our chance.

 

I looked down, noticing that the girl was wearing a black hoodie jacket, my hand involuntarily clenching the fabric just below her well-endowed chest, along with dark jeans.

 

"Wha-Who are you?" I asked sleepily, reaching my free hand up to rub my eye. I knew that if I was going to be able to get out of whatever situation I got myself in, I needed to play up my innocence.

 

I saw her smile and just about when she opened her mouth to answer, she was interrupted by a ruckus at the back of the bus.

 

"Hey, isn't that the little faggot’s friend from school?" Rocky announced to his friend next to him.

_'When did he get on?'_ I thought, looking beyond the immediate seating area, noticing that not only was Rocky and his friend Jay sitting at the back of the bus, but Nathan must have sneaked after me and he sat a few seats away, analyzing the situation.

 

"Shut it, Rocky," I said heatedly.

 

"Why would Rocky listen to a little punk like you? You're such a useless piece of nothing," Rocky smirked. Brushing off the words, I couldn’t help but glance at the girl beside me, gaging her reaction. I could feel her shake under my hand which, I assumed, was due to fear and was just about to comfort her and apologize for getting her into this mess, when she surprised me. She suddenly stood up, sending a look over her shoulder that stressed that she needed me to trust her, before stalking over to the boys. I tried to grab her arm to stop her, but she moved too fast for me.

 

"Aren't you a little too old to be name-calling?" She sneered.

 

"Who are you?" Rocky looked her up and down with a leer, "And why would you hang with the pussy when you could be hanging with Rocky?"

 

Without a word, the girl grabbed Rocky by the front of the shirt, making all of us hold our breaths. I saw a small glimpse of fear cross Rocky's face before his smirked returned, "Oh, aren't you so strong, Baby? Rocky likes that."

 

In one movement, she shoved Rocky up against the back of the bus and a small pocket knife was produced from, what seem to be, thin air.

 

"You tell me," I heard her say as she pressed the knife to Rocky's neck. “I don’t like bullies, and I certainly don’t like pigs like you, understand?”

 

Rocky nodded quickly, but gently enough to avoid having the blade pierce his skin.

 

"Now, you're going to apologize to my friend here before anything else can happen."

 

"I'm sorry, Luke!" Rocky yelled as he gulped down the sobs forming in his throat.

 

I couldn’t help but to swallow fearfully as I nodded. Even as an Academy member, I didn’t know what to do. I could already tell by her stance that sneaking up on her would result in injury, so I was unable to do anything but watch. I had to admit, however, a small part of me enjoyed seeing him helpless after how he treated Gabriel and I at Ashley Waters.

 

"Quiet down!" The bus driver yelled, without turning his head from the road.

 

"Let’s play a little game, shall we?" My savior smiled,” If the bus driver stays silent for the rest of the ride, you get to live another day. If not... well, I guess this bus will need a new interior paint job..."

 

Rocky gulped.

 

The silence only lasted for five minutes, the most.

 

"Can we all calm down? Put down the knife, and I’m sure we can all stay civil until one of us needs to get off," Nathan pleaded in a quiet voice.

 

I wanted to smack my head. He was so stupid, sometimes.

 

"Will you brats just shut the hell up already!" The driver grumbled.

 

Within seconds after the driver's statement, I heard the slice of skin and blood splashed.

 

I couldn’t help but to feel queasy at the sight of my savior-turned-madwoman.

 

"Oops, my blade slipped," she said sweetly. I saw as she turned to Rocky's friend before stabbing him in the stomach.

 

"That's for letting him say such rude things," she stated before turning to the bus driver.

 

"Can you drive another few miles and then stop at this address, sir?"

 

I saw the exact moment when the driver realized the situation, as he turned to accept the paper the girl handed him with the address and automatically paled at the sight of, what I could imagine, the blood covering her clothing and the note. I saw him nod slowly before whispering something as he glanced back at me and Nathan. The girl glanced back as well before shaking her head in a "No" motion. The driver gave a grateful look before turning back to the road and the girl walked back my way.

 

I couldn't stop my heart from racing, realizing how close I was to her only minutes ago, and I soon saw blackness.


	4. Chapter 3

Sang's Pov

All I could focus on right now was the continuous spill of blood from Rocky and the echoing pleads of Jay. Oh, how I wish I could just put that one out of his misery already, but I knew it would be next to impossible to do so without scaring anyone else.

I glanced toward Luke. He was yet again passed out against the window and I chuckled. 'He's so precious...I really hope this isn't a habit of his in this lifetime...'

I crossed the distance between him and I, standing by his seat while I contemplated my decision.

'What am I going to do? I can't let him or the others in my house; into my world again. He wouldn't understand...He couldn't handle me coming home every night cover in another person's blood.... But at least for tonight, I'll have him stay at the house, then I'll figure out what I'm going to do with him. It's the least I could do for scaring him this bad...'

Making my decision, I went to grabbed his bag and my own, but a hand on my arm stopped me.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked, his eyes steeled as he questioned me.

"I'm taking him home," I answer, tilting my head when his eyes widened.

"You can't do that!" He said venomously.

"Who are you to say what I can and cannot do?" My blood was boiling now. No one told me what to do, especially not Nathan. This Nathan couldn't remember our lives together, but I did. I was going to allow any of them to dictate what I should do again. This time has been different; I'm independent and it's going to stay that way.

"I'm his friend," he snapped.

"So, you allowed him to end up in this condition?" I asked dangerously.

"Well, no..." He trailed off. "He's just been working too much. He'll be fine in a couple days."

"Then in a couple days, you can have your friend back," I explained simply, yanking my arm back.

"I won't let you take him," He stated, grabbing my arm again.

"If you won't let me take him, I'll have to take you, too."

Without a moment to waste, I slipped my hand into one of my jacket pockets, producing a syringe I planned to use on a victim earlier in the night, and stabbed it into his arm before he could react. He began to fight back, but soon enough, his motions slowed and a few dodges of his fists allowed me to escape mostly unscathed.

"You'll understand eventually, Nathan," I said, watching him slip slowly out of consciousness.

I caught him just in time before he could hit his head on one of the hard seats.

'This is going to be harder than I thought. With one, I may have been able to walk home, but two causes an issue. I'm going to need to ask for reinforcements.'

Setting him on the bus floor, I grabbed my phone out of one of the pockets in my bag. I sent off a text, expecting someone from home to meet me at the location I instructed the bus to stop at.

However, by the time the bus stopped, I didn't receive one confirmation text. With a sigh, I gathered Luke in my arms and walked down the bus aisle. I reached the front of the bus, I paused before turning back to address the bus driver, "I appreciate your professionalism in the situation and I thank you for the ride."

He nodded towards me before looking at me unsure.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What are you going to do with him? I mean... Are you going to be able to carry them both?" He asked, his eyes cast downwards, avoiding my gaze.

"She's fine," a gruff voice said from the doorway. "I'm here to help."

I knew just from the smirk in his voice that Dexter must have been the one to see my message, and he must have convinced the others to stay behind. He was barely dressed, clad in an old t-shirt and flannel pants, which suggested that I woke him up. His black hair was thorn up in a messy ponytail, indicating that he interpreted the urgency in my text.

Dexter was one of the first boys I met when I left Illinois, and he offered to take me in when I had nowhere else to go. It wasn't more than a year later when he tried to recruit me to join the Academy, if I remembered correctly.

When asked about it, he told me all about the Academy, and how it worked. He explained its rules, and how it was something you could lean on to help your family, for when you were down on your luck, or when you were in a bad situation.

What he didn't know was that I knew exactly what happened when the Academy tried to stick its nose in your business. Nothing positive came out of the Academy, certainly.

It didn't take long for him to see things my way, or for us to recruit two other boys. Our little family didn't judge one another. No, we encouraged one's faults and triumphs; One could not be human without both, after all. We were protective of one another, and we look out for one another's best interest. Their opinions were the only ones valued now, anyway.

I told them my story, of what the Academy did to me in my previous life, and they agreed to help me "fix" the Academy in the only way I could think of... by breaking it down from the inside. Only a select few knew about my team inside the Academy, and those that did knew that I wasn't someone they could afford to lose. The problem was that even in my first life, the boys never informed me about important Academy details, so this was a whole new experience for me. However, it only fueled my anger at the boys at the amount of details they kept from me.

They Academy trained me to be an assassin; to remove any threats to their precious organization. They didn't care about what kind of person they were trying to mold me to be. They didn't realize they were training the killer they were trying to track down.

"No," I smiled at the driver, "I'm stronger than I look, trust me."

I set Luke down on the seat closest to me.

"But I'm sorry. I can't leave any loose ends in situations like this."

A resounding shot and a burst of blood across the front window finished the night's work off for me.  
Dexter was used to situations like this, following me on my individual missions every now and then, but staying back unless I needed him. However, I could tell from his grimace that he wasn't happy with me.  
I gestured to the unconscious boy on the bus floor. "Grab that one, and my bag, then we can head home."

"The text you sent said you ran into 'unforeseen events', not that you were bringing men home," he said, looking perturbed, but doing what I asked.

"Shut it," I snapped. "I didn't plan this, especially not bringing that one home." I nodded towards the one he was gathering in his arms to throw over his shoulder.

"What happened, Sang?" He asked seriously, letting me lead the way off the bus and up the hill towards our home.

"I told you, I was heading home on the bus when unforeseen events occurred," I snapped again.

"You've never been this sloppy. Why are these two alive?"

I looked down at the bundle in my arms, "I guess you can say that this one interested me. He... He's someone from my past. He's fighting against the rules and everyone's expectations of him, I can tell. I told his friend that I would return him when he was healthy again, but he wouldn't shut up. I knew he wouldn't let me keep Luke unless I knocked him out."

"That's Luke, hmm?" He grinned once we got to the top of the hill. "Are you sure there's nothing more going on here? Nothing else happened on that bus?"

"No," I snapped. "Nothing more than that. Luke's in a hard place, but Nathan hasn't helped him any. I don't care what you do with that one tonight, but I'll want to see him when he wakes up in the morning. I want to know what's going on, and what's changed since I wasn't there."

Dexter nodded, and we continued across the lawn in silence until the front door swung open.

"You crazy kids, with your late-night adventures!" Ryzix grinned from the doorway, making a tsk-ing sound as he shook his blonde head at us. "Then you're bringing young men home! Just wait until Magnus hears about this! What will the neighbors think about the strange men you're bringing home?"  
Ryzix was a jokester, at best. He was the youngest of our little group at the tender age of seventeen. But, just because we were older than him, didn't make him any less like mother figure. He took care of the house most of the time, making sure the dishes were done, laundry put away, beds were made, and food was on the table.

"Our nonexistent neighbors would be very disappointed in me and would be scrutinizing how you obviously failed to teach me the proper morals of a lady. How are you going to fix our family's ever-so-prestigious reputation that I've ruined?" I joked, pushing my way inside the house.

"I'd shut them up the same way you shut up the people you don't like," he grinned, following me inside, Dexter coming in last and slamming the door.

If anyone met me, they'd assume that I either had a house with everything pink and girly, or it was a bloody mess with weapons lying all over the place. However, it was neither of the two. I owned only what I considered to be the necessaries, which was just fine for the few who lived with me. It was a moderately large house, but nothing more than what I need; just enough for four bedrooms, one guest room, two bathrooms, and a few other needed rooms.

"Magnus, Sang's home!" Ryzix yelled towards the living room.

"That's nice," Magnus grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he came around the corner. His brown hair was sticking up in odd places and his clothes skewed, which suggested that he just woke up. He wasn't a small man, either. Dexter and Magnus were both around Silas' height and build, but that was where their similarities ended. Whereas Dexter was a gentle man, Magnus was tough-as-nails and refused to admit any sort of weakness in front of the two other men.

"Don't let him fool you. He was worried," Ryzix stage-whispered.

"I was not! I knew you'd get home just fine, eventually," Magnus explained.

"So, that's why you've been sitting on the couch for the last few hours until you finally fell asleep waiting for her?" Ryzix smirked.

And suddenly, I felt all the tension leave my body and my darker guise melt away for the night. I was home again, where I could be myself in my own, confusing way. These were the people that didn't expect me to act a certain way, or do a certain thing. They weren’t expecting me to be strong, or to be weak. They expected me to be me.

"Ryz, cut it out," Dexter reprimanded, coming up behind me empty-handed now. I made a note in the back of my mind to ask him where he put Nathan later.

Ryzix and Magnus focused on me again.

"Who's that?" Magnus asked, gesturing towards Luke in my arms.

"Let Sang go upstairs, then she'll be back down to explain tonight to all of us." He looked pointedly at me.

I nodded, heading back towards the front door and up the stairs beside it. I successfully walked through the room and up the stairs without waking Luke and I felt a small amount of pride for doing so. I could smell a small wintergreen candle burning somewhere in the house and I sneezed in disgust. I was more of a cinnamon and copper kind-of girl; you know?

I walked into my room and was about to place him atop my bed, but thought otherwise and continued past the bathroom onto to a rarely used bedroom. I cursed Magnus for leaving the room such a mess after he moved his stuff from this room to another one down the hall. His unused and unwanted clothing littered the floor, and I knew I would have to clean up in here, eventually.

I laid Luke down gently on the bed and covering him with the comforter. With a soft hand, I brushed his hair out of his face, feeling the same feeling of warmth as I did back at the bus.

'You better prove that I made the right decision this time...'


	5. Chapter 4

** Sang’s Pov **

****

With a sigh, I braced myself for the conversation I was about to have and what it was going to dig up about my past. Just seeing the two boys already brought forth memories I wanted to forget.  

_‘Our weddings… house-hunting for our family… the children…’_

 

I shook my head, telling myself not to dwell on it right now as I got to the bottom of the stairs. I kicked off my shoes next to the door for the first time tonight and shrugged off my jacket, and padded my way through the kitchen and threw the jacket onto the washer in the laundry room for later cleaning and de-staining. 

 

I took a deep breath before making my way out of the laundry room towards the living room, where I found the three boys huddled together, conversing about something quietly. 

 

They all turned in unison as my foot hit one of the squeaky floorboards.  

 

“You stained  _another_ one of my shirts, didn’t you?” Ryzix sighed, looking at the white pocket t-shirt I was wearing. 

 

“I think it looks pretty,” I whispered, looking down at the pretty red spatter patterns on the shirt with wide eyes. “You think it looks ugly?” 

 

“Of course not, sweetie.” Dexter glared Ryzix before turning to me with a smile, holding out a hand in my direction, “Now, come sit down with us.”  

 

I took his hand and sat beside him on the small love seat couch, across from Ryzix and Magnus.

 

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer as he rested his head on mine. They all smiled as they each assessed whether or not I was injured. Dexter would want to keep me close at home for the next few days, especially since he was the one to come help me. Magnus would silently hover where I could see him, but keep his distance; the longer the distance, the more it became obvious that he was worried. Ryzix would play up the jokes more, hoping to ease any tension in the house, and any fights that would possibly arise. However, as worried as they may be, they wouldn’t for a second think to stop me from going out and doing it again. 

 

They were the closest thing to brothers I’d ever had, and I never regretted my decision to tell them about myself, and letting myself grow close to boys that cared enough about me. They’d refuse to leave me, unless I specifically told them to. They wouldn’t lie to me, or let me feel alone when I needed them.  

Unlike some boys.      

 

“I’m okay, guys. Really. You don’t have to worry so much,” I insisted. 

 

“Who was that, Sang?” Magnus asked, crossing his arms. 

 

“Someone from my past,” I tried to say nonchalantly. However, they quickly picked up on what I was saying. 

 

“What did he do to you this time?! We’ll kill him!” Magnus snarled. 

 

“Why is he still alive? Why did you even bring him here, knowing who he is?” Ryzix asked. 

 

“He didn’t do anything to me, I swear. Not this time, anyway. He doesn’t even know who I am in this life, yet. It’s just… something seemed wrong. He looked like he hasn’t eaten in days! Why wouldn’t he be eating? They had a system to check on each other, and to make sure everyone and their families were doing alright. Where’s North? And Uncle? Why aren’t they making him eat? He smelled like smoke, too! Something’s really going on…” 

 

“Sang, you shouldn’t even care.  _They_ left  _you_ , not the other way around. You were left to take care of two children all by yourself,” Ryzix whispered. 

 

“They made you believe that they were coming back, but they didn’t, Sang. They cut off all contact with you, their supposed  _wife_  and  _love of their life_. Is that the type of people you want to associate yourself with again, Sang?” Magnus snapped. 

 

“N-No,” I said, choking on a small sob. 

 

Dexter noticed, and turned my face into his shoulder, shielding me. 

 

“Apologize. Both of you,” he snarled. 

 

“We’re sorry, Sang. It’s just… you know we care about you. We don’t want to see you get hurt, ever,” Ryzix explained. 

 

“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t care anymore… but seeing him like that made me realize how much I’ve missed him, and rest of the boys. What if the problem was that we met when we were too young? We had this certain idea of who we were supposed to be, and they believed that I had to be treated like I was a dainty little girl… and in that lifetime, I was that girl. I wasn’t strong, and they believed that the only way they could protect little ‘ole Sang was to stay away from her. But I’m not that girl anymore, and maybe, with me not in their lives for the last five years like last time, they aren’t that kind of men, either.” 

 

“You might be right, Sang. But are you really sure you want to risk it?” Magnus asked. 

 

I nodded, sure of myself. “This time, I'm going to stand up for myself. They saw the meek, tiny Sang, and they couldn’t stay with that girl. This time, I’m not going to let them be the ones to leave. They wedged themselves into my life the first time, but this time, it’s my turn to make myself a part of theirs, and I’ll throw a wedge in their ideas about the Academy while I’m at it.” 

 

Magnus and Ryzix glanced at each other before looking back at me, seemingly coming to the same conclusion. “If that’s what you want to do, we’ll help you in any way we can,” Ryzix smiled. 

 

“Thank you, guys. I feel like I don’t show you guys how much I appreciate you being in my life, and supporting me. I know you don’t agree with me, and you probably think I’m stupid for trying to give them a second chance, but thank you three for sticking by me no matter what.” I snuggled up closer to Dexter, letting my eyes finally droop from the tiring day. 

 

“You have a bigger heart than those boys deserve, Sang, and we’re here to protect it from being broken again. Just about whatever you need us to do, we’ll do it,” Dexter grinned, squeezing my shoulder and pulling me tight against his side.   

 

We were all quiet for a moment, reflecting on all the things said in the conversation. 

 

“You never told us which one that one is,” Ryzix pointed out. 

 

“That was Luke,” I chuckled, opening my eyes again. 

 

“Luke was the sneaky pickpocket one, wasn’t he? You used to tell us all about the missions he took you on to retrieve weird items,” Magnus stated. 

 

“Mhmm. In my first life, he was the semi-permanent dessert chef at the Diner once he turned twenty-four, but he was one of the only ones that made sure he made time for me in his day. Well, him and Gabriel did. Like I explained before, there were mini groups within our family. Gabriel and Luke were just about always stuck together, and they were the ‘outcasts’ of the group, you could say. They never had much a niche with the other boys, and if something went missing or a prank was pulled, they’d be the first suspects.” 

 

“What about the other ones? There’s nine, correct?” Ryzix asked. 

 

“Yes. North and Silas were known for their hands-on approach. They started a construction business together, with Silas focusing more on plumbing and maintenance. Owen and Sean were, and are, three years older than the boys, so they always connected with each other on a level that the other boys couldn’t. They started the Blackbourne team together, and they were always the best of friends. Owen had a lot of focus in the stocks, while Sean became a fulltime doctor. The last three, Kota, Victor, and Nathan were a loose trio, and neither was closer to one than they were to the other. Kota got involved in creative writing, and was working towards publish his own science fiction book. Victor, once he turned twenty-one, was legally allowed to break his contract with his parents and turned from the performance world towards the classroom, where he taught piano at a local performance arts college. Nathan did odd jobs with the Academy, which left me to almost no time with him, especially the weeks before they left.” 

 

“Which one was Dexter carrying?” Ryzix asked. 

 

“Nathan. He must have followed Luke on the bus after whatever happened back at home, and he tried to get me away from Luke after I killed a few people,” I said sheepishly. 

 

“You killed them  _before_  you knocked those two out?” Dexter asked, stunned. 

 

“They were being assholes to Luke. What was I supposed to do? Let them live?” I chuckled. 

 

“I don’t know what to say to you, sometimes,” Dexter shook his head with a playful grin. 

 

“Where did you put him, anyway?” I asked. 

 

“He’s tied up in the downstairs training room. I was hoping to scare him a little bit when he wakes up. But if you want me to move him since you want to give them a second chance…” 

 

“No, it’s fine,” I said with a lazy wave of my hand, too tired to change things tonight. “He needs to be shown that none of us are about to take his shit. If it wasn’t for the fact that I know tying Luke up wouldn’t contain him for long, and would lead to them coming up with a plan to escaping before we can talk, I’d suggest them both being tied up.” 

 

“Are we going to be able to use the information from your previous life to our advantage?” Magnus asked, bringing us back on topic.

 

“Well, yes and no. Obviously, there are differences between the two lifetimes, so I may not be able to use it as often as I’d like to. But, we can use what I assume to be concrete to their Academy lives to our advantage, such as their cellphones having tracking devices and buttons to alert danger near.” 

 

“I grabbed Nathan’s cellphone when I left the room,” Dexter said, handing the device over.  

 

“Has it gone off yet?” I asked. 

 

“Not yet, but from a glance at the texts, they aren’t expecting a checking-in text for another ten minutes,” he explained. 

 

“I checked over Luke briefly, and didn’t see a phone. Can you double check, and look in his bag, as well?” I asked. 

 

He nodded, unwrapping himself from around me as he got up from the couch. 

I could hear the two other boys conversing quietly as I looked down at the unlocked phone, wondering how Dexter got into it.  

 

Pushing away the thought, though, I tapped the “Text Message” icon and clicked on the group text, seeing that the last text was Nathan checking in with the guys about Luke almost an hour ago. 

 

One thing that was different from my passed life was that their names were not in the phone as regular contacts. Instead, icons and the object’s name was the only recognition that was there. 

 

Suddenly, someone was typing. 

**Black Car: How’s he doing? Is he still staring out the window, or has he finally noticed you and came over to talk to you?**

**Baseball: What about the girl you said talked to him? Is she still there?**

**Paint Brush: More importantly, how is she dressed? I will not allow Luke to bring home a woman who can’t dress herself properly.**

**Violin: Mr. Coleman, I don’t think that’s the problem.**

**Paint Brush: It is a fucking problem!**

**Black Car: My brother’s location is the problem!**

 

Knowing the boys, I knew I had to nip this in the bud now or risk this going on for another few minutes and nothing getting done. 

 

“I found a phone in Luke’s bag, but it’s either been turned off, or the battery is dead,” Dexter said, handing me an iPhone.  

 

I nodded. “Nathan’s phone, on the other hand, is blowing up with text messages now. They’re worried about Luke, and they want Nathan to watch and follow him. I don’t know if I should attempt to calm them down, or try to rile them up.” 

 

“Calming them down will give you more time to question the boys before they stick their noses in your business again,” Magnus pointed out. 

 

“But riling them up and making them scramble to find their boys would be so much fun,” Ryzix said with a chuckled. 

 

“You two make everything difficult,” I grumbled. “But you’re right, Mag. The calm approach will give me more time to think of what I want to do.”  

 

I looked down at Nathan’s cellphone again, reading out what I was typing. “I’m fine, and Luke is fine. He got off the bus, and he seems like he’s heading into the woods to set up for the night.” 

**Paint Brush: Why the fuck is he camping out? Tell him to come home already and we’ll figure out a plan in the morning.**

**Calculator: Try to talk to him, if you can. Running out on our own and trying to complete missions is what’s going to get us in trouble.**

**Violin: Be careful, Mr. Griffin. If it seems that Mr. Taylor Sr. will not cooperate, give him space. Everyone else, go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us.**

 

“Will do, Mr. B,” I said aloud as I hit the send button. I ignored the rest of the texts as I looked up at the boys surrounding me. They all looked exhausted, and I couldn’t help but to yawn myself. I glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing that it was nearing four a.m. now. 

 

“We have a long day ahead of us, ourselves. If you notice either of the boys wake up, come get me. But other than that, sleep well tonight,” I sighed.   

 

Pushing off the couch, I raised my arms up in a stretch before I remembered something. “Someone needs to move that bus before its discovered or reported coming this way.” 

 

Dexter moved, silently volunteering to do it before Magnus held up a hand to stop him. “I’ll go, since I’m the least sleep deprived one here. The rest of you just set off to bed, alright?” 

 

The rest of us nodded, each heading towards our rooms for restful night of sleep before our world was official turned on its side tomorrow. 

_‘I’m going to regret this, aren’t I? I think I have this all figured out with them asleep, but once they wake up and the rest of the boys get involved, I’m going to be way over my head, aren’t I?’_


	6. Chapter 5

** Luke’s Pov **

 

I groaned as I woke up, blinded by the sunlight shining through my windows. I pulled the satin comforter up as I snuggled into the soft pillows under my head. The musky cologne smell filled my nostrils as I reached a hand up to rub the sleep from my eyes.

 

_'Wait a minute...'_

 

My eyes shot open as I realized that these were not my things. I looked around the room, taking in the dark blue wall color, along with the parted blue curtains that complemented the dark floor. There were two doors within the room; one most likely leading to closet and the other, a hallway.

 

I let my feet be engulfed in the rug’s softness as I investigated the room's contents. I examined the top of the dresser next to the bed, finding useless items such as hair ties and pencils. I sighed as I stopped, trying to remember how I got in this situation.

 

Blood.

 

I could still see in my mind how quick the blood coated the inside of that bus and easily it was spilled. I also remember everything going black soon after I looked at Rocky's depleting life. I knew it was wrong, but I sensed a small part of me that was relieved that someone like Rocky was no longer around.

 

_'I wonder if Jay survived...'_

 

I suddenly hear a loud noise come from outside and I froze, panicking.

 

"H-hello?" I stuttered, a shot of fear rising in my throat.

 

No response came as I inched my way to one of the doors. I opened it slowly, revealing a long, but empty hallway and I let out a sigh of relief. I stepped out of the room, careful not to make any excess noise as I made my way down the hallway and gently went down the set of stairs I found. There was another hall here, leading to many of rooms on each side of the walls. I heard a sound that almost sounded like a groan from one of the last room in the hall, so I made my way in that direction, wanting to know why I was here and even where “here” was.

 

Peaking around the corner, I was met with a low lighted room that was painted a dark brown with stained white and red flooring. The black blinds on the windows were sealed shut from what I could see and there was nothing decorating the walls. But what made me stop in my tracks was the sight of a moderate-sized chair that was facing the opposite wall. I could tell that someone was sitting in the chair from the inconsistent lull of their head back and forth.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, coming further into the room.

 

“Lu…Luke...?” A groggy voice let out as I watched the person in the chair try to look around the chair for me. I rushed forward to the front of the chair so he wouldn’t have to struggle around.

 

“Nathan?” I asked softly. The dark lighting made it so his face wasn't too clear to me, but his red-brown hair and the outline of his body gave me a good enough idea of who he was.

 

I gasped, “Oh my god, what happened to you?” I stumbled forward to try to yank the handcuffs keeping him in the chair off him, but nothing seemed to make him budge.

 

“I’ve already been trying, and nothing seems to work. It needs some sort of key,” Nathan sighed, his eyes slightly glassy when I looked at him.

 

Footsteps started to come down the hall, and I could feel my blood pressure rising with every step.

 

“You’ve got to help me, please!” A young male pleaded, his hand grasping the wall as he bent over, out of breath. “She took you too, right? You’ve got to help me get out of here!”

 

I studied the man, trying to decide whether or not he could be trusted. He couldn’t have been older than seventeen or eighteen, his blonde hair messy, like he's been running his hands through it nervously, and his grey-blue eyes flittering every now and then to check the immediate area. He was dressed in a blood-stained red shirt, and ripped jeans that seemed to have seen better days.

 

He seemed like he was genuinely scared for his life.

 

“Let me get him free, and we’ll get ourselves out of here, alright? Where are we, anyway?” I asked.

 

“I don’t know. She…She just grabbed me when I was walking home and I told her I needed to be home by ten, but she just wouldn’t let me go! I have classes today!”

 

A loud crash from down the hall made us jump.

 

“We need to get out of here, now!” He whispered loudly, grabbing my arm and tried to pull me away from Nathan.

 

“We need to try to get him free first!” I insisted.

 

“I’ll figure something out. Everyone’s going to be pissed at me if I don’t save you at least,” Nathan yelled.

 

“I’m not going to leave with you!” I yelled back.

 

“We need to go. Now,” the boy said, pulling on my arm again.

 

“Go. I mean it,” Nathan snapped.

 

Finally, I allowed myself to be pulled toward the front door. He pulled on the door knob, but nothing would make it budge. “It won’t open! Do something, Luke!”

 

“What…? How do you know who I am?” I snapped, backing away from him.

 

“Fuck,” he swore.

 

“Who are you?” I asked.

 

His face expression morphed from one full of fear and anxiety to a more calculated one, as if he was trying to find a way to get out of this situation. “I could be a friend, or an enemy. It depends on how you handle the next hour.”

 

A scream echoed through the hallway and I looked between the boy and the hall we just came through.

 

“I’ll let you leave, if you’d like. You can save yourself, and bring your friends back to help you. Or, you can go in there and save the day,” he smirked, twisting the doorknob easily, opening the door for me, even.

 

Another scream carried down the hallway.

 

“Time’s ticking…” he trailed off with a laugh.

 

Making my decision, I turned back, heading in the direction I saw Nathan last. I ran as fast as I could, but stopped once I heard voices.

 

“She’s going to be angry if you hurt him any more than that,” A man said, followed by a sigh.

 

_‘She’d be angry? Isn’t the whole goal to kill us and steal our damn organs to sell on the black market, or something?’_

 

“It’ll be worth it. They deserve all the pain they can get after what they did to her,” Another man growled.

 

 _‘What_ we _did to_ her _? Do they have the right story?’_

 

“We didn’t do anything to the crazy bitch! She killed a few guys and decided she was going to ‘keep’ my friend,” Nathan spat.  

 

“That’s for her to decide, Mag. All we’re supposed to do is keep them separated until she’s had the chance to talk to them both alone,” the first man stated, ignoring Nathan.

 

“Why the hell does she want to talk to us? To figure out where she’s supposed to send our bodies after murdering us?” Nathan snorted.

 

I couldn’t help but softly chuckle.

 

“Do you agree?” A voice whispered in my ear.

 

I just about jumped five feet out of my skin, spinning around only to find myself face-to-face with the madwoman herself.  Now that it was daytime, I could make out the features of her face. She had a small piercing in her left eyebrow and her petite nose remind me of a little bunny rabbit as she scrunched it up in confusion. She looked petite in an oversized sweater and sweatpants that both looked like they’ve seen better days.

 

_‘She should not be looking cute in any way to me right now!’_

 

“Hello?” She waved her hand in front of her face, “Anybody in there?”

 

I was officially frozen. I didn’t know what was the right decision: should I run, or act like this was a normal situation?

 

She shrugged, sidestepping me as she entered the room I was ease dropping on. I couldn’t help but to peak in after she went in.

 

“Could this be any less like a bad horror movie?” I heard her murmur.

 

The girl grabbed a set of keys out of her back pocket and walked gently over to Nathan. One of his arms was wrapped in a gauze that was already spotting red.

 

“Could I trust you to not tackle me if I let you get up?” She smiled.

 

“And what, have one of your lackeys pull me off you?” He spat. “You’re stupid if you really think I’m not going to do that.”

 

“Right answer,” she grinned. Without another word to Nathan, she threw the keys to one of the boys, who caught it. “I’ll be back to talk to him.”

 

Her eyes locked with mine, and I gulped, deciding to make a run for it. I stopped when I reached a dead end in the living room.

 

“How aren’t you tired?” The boy from earlier asked, throwing a ball up in the air and catching it from his splayed-out position on one of the couches.

 

I fell to the ground and backed myself again the wall that was the farthest from where either the boy or woman was now located. I kicked everything I could between her and I, trying to make it harder for her to get to me.

 

“Let’s talk, you and I.” She sat down in the doorway, blocking the only way for me to escape.


	7. Chapter 6

** Sang’s Pov **

 

He was no a w huddled up against the wall, fearful with his hands clenched at either side of him.

 

I couldn’t help but to laugh to myself as I sat down on the floor in the doorway. He was studying my every move, which made me further regret last night.

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you, really. You just make it so easy…” I explained with a soft smile.

 

He didn’t blink.

 

"What's your name?" I asked, trying something easy that I knew the answer to, but the only response I was given was a tiny glare.

 

"Well, I guess I'll just be rude too, and not answer the nice woman who only asked me simple question..."

 

"You're not a nice person," he muttered lowly, but I was able to catch what was said.

 

"I saved you last night, didn't I?" I said smugly, though I knew I could have done a better job than I did. I could have also done it in a way that didn’t end up with him visually scarred for life. Too late to take that back now, I guess.

 

"I was fine. I didn't ask you to jump in," He mumbled, frustrated as he moved his hands to cross his arms. Now that we were in broad daylight and his hair fell away from his face, I could examine him better. One thing in particular caught my eye, though.

 

I knee-walked over to him, careful to move slowly as to not spook him.

 

I grabbed his left cheek before rubbing my hand over the slightly risen mark on his face. It ran from left side of his nose and cut diagonally across part of his right cheekbone. It didn’t look to be fresh, which reassured me in a way. As soon as my hand touch his skin, I felt the same spark I felt last night and I scolded myself for letting him affect me this much.

 

"Who did this to you?" I asked, gritting my teeth as I tried to say as level-headed as possible.

 

"It doesn't matter.” He tried to push my hand away, but I stayed firm.

 

"It _does_ matter. The sooner you tell me, the quicker the subject can be dropped." He didn’t look like he’d ever answer, so I changed the subject myself with a sigh, knowing that being harsh wouldn’t get me anywhere. "Why were you on the bus that late?"

 

He shrugged. "I had something to do."

 

“You were running away from something, weren’t you?” I asked, pressing the issue. “Was it because of those friends of yours?”

 

He paled slightly, and his eyes widened as if I figured something out that I wasn’t supposed to. “Of course not. Why would I run away?”

 

“Even now, you keep secrets from me,” I muttered.

“Why wouldn’t I keep secrets? You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.”

 

_‘He’s right… he has no reason to trust me right now. I need to show him that he can, or I’ll lose my chance. Using the information and knowledge of him from my past life right now is only making things worse…’_

I held out my hand.

 

He sat there, staring at the extended limb without a word.

 

I gave him a small, embarrassed smile. “I’m Sang Sorenson.”

 

He didn’t move.

 

“Normal people shake hands when they introduce themselves,” I grinned.

 

“You already know who I am,” he answered.

 

I dropped my hand dejectedly.

 

“I want to start over, though. Obviously, we got off on the wrong foot. Can we be friends?”

 

“Friends?” He asked, skeptically.

 

“Yes. I want to be friends with you, and even Nathan. Here,” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it out to him with both hands. “I’m trusting you enough to have this. Don’t make me regret it.”

 

He hesitantly grasped the phone in his hand, turning it over as he pressed the ‘on’ button. He seemed surprised that it actually turned on, which I didn’t further question.

 

“Why are you doing this?” He said quietly as he waited for the phone to load up.

 

“What?”

 

 “Why are we alive? I saw what you did to Rocky. Why am I not dead?”

 

“Do you want to be?” I asked, tilting my head.

 

_‘I didn’t think of that. Would he have come to this point without me around to stop him?’_

 

“No! I just… I don’t understand. I should be dead right now,” he whispered.

 

“Three other people would agree with you,” I muttered under my breath. But when he gave me a strange look, I spoke up. “You interest me. Keep my interest, and you’ll be fine.”

 

The phone chimed in his hands, signaling all the text messages he missed. 

 

"Well, that’s my cue to go. I won’t hover while you talk to your team. Tell them they’re welcome to come to dinner, if they’d like," I grinned, getting to my feet.

 

“You’re insane,” Luke chuckled, not looking up from the phone.

 

“You’ll learn to love it.” I gave him a crooked grin, ruffling Ryzix’s hair as I walked by and made my way back to Nathan.

 

A buzz in my back pocket made me grin.

 

_‘He didn’t even wait a minute, did he?’_

I took out Nathan’s phone with a fond smile, seeing Luke’s message at the top.

 

**Pancakes: That text wasn’t from Nathan last night.**

 

I unlocked the phone with bated breath to see what the responses would be.

 

**Black Car: What do you mean?**

**Violin: Explain, Mr. Taylor Sr..**

**Paint Brush: If that wasn’t Nathan, how the fuck do we know you’re who you say you are?**

**Pancakes: Gabe, I’m who I say I am. Trust me.**

**Paint Brush: Prove it, then.**

**Pancakes: Even after you’ve moved, you still don’t know what you want your room’s mural to look like.**

**Pancakes: You hate the silence. It makes you feel alone even in a crowded room.**

**Pancakes: You won’t admit it, but whenever we go out somewhere, you’re always looking for someone to inspire your art.**

_‘He hasn’t found another muse? Interesting…’_

**Paint Brush: Okay! I get it! You’re you!**

**Calculator: Where’s Nathan?**

**Pancakes: He’s tied up at the moment. I think…**

**Music Notes: You aren’t certain?**

**Pancakes: We’re not in the same room. I’m able to walk around, but he’s contained. I don’t know why, but she wanted to talk to us separately.**

**Black Car: Who? Who wanted to talk to you?**

**Pancakes: The girl from last night.**

“Your team sure is persistent,” I muttered, reading the text as I entered the room where Nathan, Dexter, and Magnus were. I looked up from the phone to find Nathan in a worst condition than before. One of his eyes was already discolored and his lip would be swollen for a few days.

 

“Will you two just leave the boy alone, already? He hasn’t even had the chance to do anything wrong yet,” I grumbled.

 

“He’s been talking shit and acting like an asshole. It’s not our fault that he bruises so easily…” Magnus smirked, high-fiving Dexter.

 

“I’ve created monsters…” I muttered, rubbing my temples. I slipped the phone back in my pocket and walked over to Nathan, tilting his head so I could see his face in better lighting.

 

_‘Fuck… he’s definitely going to be bruised.’_

“Can you not be difficult for a few minutes, and answer my questions?”

 

“Can you not be a psycho bitch and let me go already?” He sneered.

 

I couldn’t help but to flinch from his words. A part of me felt guilty for doing this to him, but the other part of me knew that things had to be this way to get their attention and to catch the Blackbourne team off guard.

 

“What happened to you? To Luke? You’re not a harsh person. Sure, you speak your mind and all, but you’re not harsh. Then, Luke… He’s too skinny. Too skittish. What happened to you both? Are the others like this, too?”

 

Nathan squinted his eyes.

 

“Have we met before? Did you go to Ashley Waters?”

 

I laughed humorlessly.  “No, I didn’t. I’m not part of an Academy team, either. Not in the way you’re thinking, at least. I know you’re going to ask that next. I’m just a girl that knows a little too much about the Blackbourne team.”

 

“Why?” He asked.

 

“That’s all you two have to ask? ‘Why’? Not ‘how’ or even ‘what’ I supposedly know?”

 

“Maybe those were my follow-up questions.”

 

“You don’t get follow-ups until you answer my questions. That’s how interrogations work, remember? Or are you scheduled for a refresher class?”

 

“You haven’t exactly asked a question yet,” he pointed out.

 

“Ah, but I did. I asked what happened to you to make you so harsh.”

 

“What makes anyone harsh? I’ve had a hard upbringing, then Academy training usually hardens a person, you know.”

 

_‘Hard upbringing, huh…?’_

 

“Your father was never removed, was he?” I said, finally realizing what could be different in this timeline.

 

“Why do you care?” He spat, suddenly turning defensive.

 

“I care a lot about your wellbeing, actually,” I frowned. “You wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t. If you took a minute to notice, I never once hurt you until you tried to first. I was only protected Luke last night, and the only reason you’re in this position is because you put up a fight with me, and I didn’t want you to hurt yourself or Luke this morning.”

 

He looked guilty for a second.

 

I held out a hand towards Dexter, who threw me the keys. I leaned forward, whispering in his ear, “I’m trusting you right now, Honey. Don’t make me regret it.”

 

I unlocked each one of his wrists slowly as I spoke. He watched me in silence as I pick up one of his wrists and massaged it gently. A different spark went off when our skin touched, and I accepted it this time.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” I asked sweetly. “Besides your arm…and eye…and jaw. You know what I mean.”

 

“I’m fine. My neck is kinked, but I’ll get over it,” he said, stretching his arms upward before he moved to stand.

 

I instantly placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

 

“Are you going to try to attack me, or are you willing to answer some more questions before I let you go find Luke?”

 

He seemed consider his surroundings and my question before nodding, and I dropped my hand, taking that as a yes to the last part of my question. I began circling his chair, not unlike a vulture does with her prey.

 

“What’s going on with Luke? Why would he just go off on his own?”

 

He opened his mouth, but I held a finger up. “Don’t try to tell me that you both went off. If this was some sort of plan, Gabriel would have gone, not you.”

 

Nathan closed his mouth, most likely thinking over his words before answering. “Luke’s been like that for a while, I guess. He eats when he has to, and stays in his room unless he’s with Gabriel, on a mission, or at the Diner. But lately Kota and Luke have been disagreeing on how he should handle our mission.”

 

“That mission being me, correct?” I smiled.

 

Nathan gave me a look.

 

“You’re mostly known for your retrieval missions, but every now and then, you’re sent on dangerous missions to contain situations. Situations like myself. But this mission is over your head, isn’t it?” I asked with the tilt of my head.

 

“And how did you come to that conclusion?”

 

“If you wanted to contain me and bring me into the Academy, you would have already found a way to do it. You had the chance last night, but you were too slow. As soon as I grabbed any knives or a gun, you could have stopped me.” I stopped behind him, draping my arms around his neck from behind as I whispered in his ear. “You didn’t want to, did you?”

 

“I didn’t know what to do,” he admitted in a quiet voice.

 

“What do you want to do now?” I asked, circling the chair again. This time, I stopped in front of him, leaning my hands on the armrests on each side of him, our faces inches apart. “Your hands are free… It’s up to you to figure out what you’re going to do with them.”

 

Without warning, he closed the space between us and I could feel the sparks coming off us at the contact. His lips were chapped from the cold February weather outside, but I couldn’t careless at the moment.

 

_‘Typical boy… Thinking with the wrong head constantly, and assuming kissing a girl and getting sexual will manipulate her. It sure worked in my first life.’_

 He grabbed me around the waist, pulling me towards him until I was straddling his lap. I couldn’t stop my hands from roaming into his hair and tugging his head back until his mouth opened in a gasp. Leaning deeper in the kiss, I bit his lip harshly, but not enough to draw blood.

 

“Ow,” he hissed softly.

 

“Sorry, I’m a biter. It’s just that you taste so good.”

 

“What do I taste like?” He asked with a lopsided grin.

 

“Honey. You taste like the sweetest honey in the world.” I was smiling so hard that it hurt. I couldn’t help but to think back to the first time this discussion happened, except this time was kissing instead of fingers.

 

“I wonder what you taste like?” He asked softly.

 

“Why don’t you find out?” I smirked.

 

I wiped the grin off his face as I instigated the kiss again, not letting him back out of this moment. It wasn’t long before his teeth tugged on my bottom lip, nipping and biting at the skin. I didn’t know how it happened, but he almost always tasted like honey to me, no matter what he did. I was interested to see what he thought I tasted like, and whether I was too different for me to still taste like…

 

“Peanuts. Slightly salty, but just enough to make things interesting,” he said when he pulled back from the kiss, leaving a few lasting pecks to my lips.

 

 _‘Somethings will never change, will they?’_ I thought with a sigh.

 

With a glance over my shoulder, I noticed that Dexter and Magnus were no longer in the room, and I couldn’t help but let out a harsh laugh.

 

_‘I could have been killed or at least injured, but they bolted at the sight of things getting hot and heavy? Men…’_

Nathan suddenly leaned back in the chair, laughing loudly. “I’m insane, aren’t I? Absolutely insane. Here I am, locked in a killer’s house, and what am I doing? Kissing the girl who’ll be burying my body!”

 

“Ah, but doesn’t this show that you can trust me?” I ran a hand across his cheek, “I have you vulnerable, even now… almost putty in my hands, and anyone could have come and ended your life, but they didn’t.”

 

“I…I guess not.”

 

_‘He’s not as hard to manipulate as I thought…’_

“It’s true,” I grinned, happy with myself. “I promise you: I won’t hurt you or Luke. You believe me, right?”

 

He was quiet before he gave me a small, unconfident shrug. “You’ve had a lot of chances to do something already, and you haven’t.”

 

I always thought I needed to show Nathan a bit more love in the beginning. The first time, he got to possessive at the start, thinking that my sole focus should be on him. I needed to use that to my advantage now to get everyone else on my side.

 

“What… uh… happens now?” He asked.

 

“Now, we see what your friends think of me.”

 

I pulled out his phone from my back pocket.

 

“Is that my phone?” He asked, grabbing it out of my hand.

 

“Yes, now give it to me. I’ll hand it back to you when I’m done with it.” I grasped the phone and tugged gently, curious to see if he would let it go. He didn’t resist and soon I was swiping through all the text messages Luke and the boys had been sending all this time.

 

I got up from his lap before turning around and sitting in it, his arms instantly wrapping around my waist and pulling me close.

 

“Ohh, Luke thinks I’m pretty,” I giggled. “Gabriel and North think he’s bat-shit crazy, while Kota and Owen are trying to get everyone back on task. How did you all get this far without me?”

 

“I’m questioning that right now,” Nathan muttered distractedly, running a hand up and down my leg as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to my neck as he made work of marking me with each kiss he planted.

 

“He’s fine, boys. You really think that bad of him, that he could be taken down by a little girl?” I read aloud as I hit the send button.

 

“Wasn’t I?” He asked, stopping in his tracks for a minute.

 

“I’m a trained professional, Honey. You couldn’t take me down even if I was in a drugged coma,” I muttered as I read all the responses to my text.

 

**Paint Brush: Who the fuck are you, and what nuthouse can we send you back to?**

**Baseball: Tread carefully. We don’t know what she’ll do.**

**Paint Brush: I’m not scared of you! If I find out you’ve laid a hand on either of them, I’ll kick your ass! Don’t think I’m kidding, either!**

**Violin: Miss Sorenson, is it? Would you mind sending us a picture of Nathan so we can ascertain that he is alright?**

“Blackbourne is asking for a picture. How naughty of him,” I grinned, running my fingers through his hair. “Do you mind?”

He leaned back, giving me a lopsided grin again and I lifted the phone. I took a decent enough picture without including myself in it. I wanted the boys to be surprised by me when they came to dinner. They should be on edge until they get to meet me, just like I was when I met them.

 

I sent off the picture, and the text messages blew up.

 

**Calculator: That is not fine.**

**Black Car: If that’s fine, what condition is my brother in?**

I sighed. “I feel like pulling something risky… What’s the probability that they’re all in the same place?”

 

“Mr. B and Dr. Green might not be, but the rest of them are probably all huddled in the same room or around Victor’s computer,” he answered.

 

“You’re going to have to talk fast and tell them how you’re feeling,” I said, already hitting the ‘call’ button and putting it in his hands as I stood up.

 

“What are you doing?” He asked.

 

“Nathan? Hello?” Victor’s voice rang out from the phone.

 

“Vic,” Nathan breathed.

 

“Nate! Are you alright?” Kota asked.

 

“I’m fine, guys. Don’t worry about a thing,” Nathan joked.

 

“What about that picture? You didn’t look like you’re fine,” Silas rationalized.

 

I began rubbing his shoulders, leaning down to place a delicate kiss just below his ear from behind.

 

“Tell them you’re unharmed and they can come by anytime to grab you two,” I whispered.

 

I felt a chill go through his body as he relaxed under my hands, repeating what I said. Whether it was the kiss, my hands on him, or the fact that he was free to leave at any time that got him to comply, we’d never find out.

 

“Where are you?” Kota asked.

 

I grabbed the phone now. “Time’s up, boys. Have fun tracking, Victor. Will I see you at dinner tonight, or tomorrow?”

 

I hung up the phone, tossing it across the room.

 

“You did well, Nathan. Exactly what I wanted.” I smiled, my fingers through his hair as I sat in his lap again.

 

He hummed at the motion, sinking deeper in the chair as he relax.

 

“Get used to this,” I whispered, “Because I don’t like to share.”

 

“Neither do I,” he murmured.

 

“But you would if I wanted to, yes?” I asked softly, not giving him time to answer as I stroked my hand across his unbruised cheek. “You would like that, wouldn’t you? Knowing that I was happy and loved, and you could trust someone else to take care of me when you couldn’t. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Don’t you want me to be happy?”

 

He nodded, his eyes closing as my fingers carded through his hair and he groaned. “God, yes.”

 

_‘Agreeing is one thing. Seeing it in action is another.’_

Getting what I needed from the conversation, I stood up again. I held out my hand with a smile. “Now, why don’t we go find everyone and eat? You didn’t wake up until noon, and it’s got to be close to dinner time by now.”


	8. Chapter 7

**  Luke’s Pov **

****

"Why the fuck did you leave her alone with him?" The boy, who I learned was named Ryzix, grumbled as he cleared the table for dinner.

 

Once I assured everyone that I was alright and still alive, I was going to explore the house a bit. But, once Ryzix caught on to what I was about to do, he pulled me behind him and into the kitchen.

 

"She obviously wanted a bit of privacy," Magnus shrugged, stirring some mixed vegetables in a large bowl.

 

"That means step out of the room, not leave her totally alone!" Ryzix yelled.

 

"Do you really think she'd hurt him?" I asked quietly.

 

They both stopped what they were doing.

 

"What?" Ryzix asked with a smile.

 

"Do you really think we're worried about your friend’s wellbeing?" Magnus snapped, but a rough punch to his shoulder by Ryzix shut him up quickly.

 

"What he _means_ to say is that Sang will not hurt you or your friends." Ryzix gave me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t calm my worries.

 

"How can you be certain?" I asked, skeptical.

 

"I just am. Sang's goal was only to scare you, if anything. She wouldn't do anything that would make you or Nathan not trust her. She cares about your wellbeing." Ryzix went over and started chopping the rest of the vegetables up on a cut board.

 

"Why does she care?"

 

"Because she does! Simple as that!" Ryzix yelled, stabbing the knife into the wooden board and placing his hands on his forehead. "Will you stop questioning everything and just let it happen?! You better not tell me that the rest of your team is like this, or I’ll push them right out that door again and onto their asses!"

 

I stayed quiet, watching as Magnus gave Ryzix a disapproving look. "He just wants to know why she cares about him." He turned to look at me then, and answered my question, "Do you believe in fate?"

 

I hesitated before nodding, not trusting myself to speak when both of them were staring at me.

 

"Sang has a big heart, but she's lived a long and hard life. She has an old soul that attracts quite a few people to her. What I’m trying to say, is that she sees a kindred spirit in you boys, and she’s not going to risk you guys running away until you get to know her.”

 

_‘What is that supposed to mean? Is she like us? Is she… broken?’_

 

“By that, he means you should be worrying about Sang, not your friend. She won’t lay a finger on your friend, but that doesn’t mean he will leave her unharmed,” Ryzix grumbled. “Which brings us back to why you thought it was smart to leave her alone with some strange man who could hurt our little girl!”

 

The other man I saw in the room with Nathan, who these two referred to as ‘Dexter’, came into the kitchen then and almost successfully backed out of the room but Ryzix noticed him at the last second.

 

“Hey! You aren’t innocent either! Get in here and help with dinner!” Ryzix yelled, gesturing to him with the knife in his hand.

 

“I rather not…” Dexter trailed off.

 

“Sang’s not going to be happy, if you don’t help out,” he smirked.

 

My cellphone, from where it was sitting on the table, started blowing up with text messages.

 

“I think she’s really happy with herself, actually,” Magnus said.

 

“Ooh, let me see what she did now!” Ryzix squealed, handing the knife to Magnus as he bounded over to where I was sitting. “Pour those in the bowl and boil it for five minutes before stirring it,” he instructed.

 

He pulled up a chair next to mine and started reading through the texts, laughing. “Oh, she’s got them in a frenzy to find you two, already.  She’s giving Victor until tomorrow night to figure out where you are.”

 

“She wants them to find us?” I asked.

 

“Yes, silly,” Ryzix ruffled my hair. “It’s no fun with just the two of you. No offense, but you’re too easy.”

 

“What?”

 

“Look at me, telling you secrets.” He flung his arms around my neck, hugging me. “We’re going to be the best of friends!”

 

“Uhh…” I stammered, unsure of what I should do. Would he get irate if I pushed him away?

 

“Don’t you want to be friends?” He whispered, backing away from his hug with his eyes already teary.

 

“Who doesn’t want to be friends?” Sang asked. She came into the kitchen soon after with a smitten Nathan following behind her.

 

“Luke doesn’t want to be friends with me!” He whined.

 

“Well, I didn’t say that…” I trailed off.

 

“I can tell,” he frowned, crossing his arms not unlike a bratty child.

 

“Do you not want to be my friend either?” She whispered, her eyes widening.

 

“I didn’t say that, either!” I insisted, looking around for someone to back me up.

 

“Ignore those two, Luke. They never make sense and they like to get people worked up,” Dexter stated, starting to grill the hamburgers on the stovetop, throwing in onions every now and then.

 

“Do not!” Ryzix and Sang yelled.

 

“Do too,” Dexter and Magnus murmured.

 

Nathan let out a sharp laugh. “You guys can be funny when you want to be.”

 

I looked him up and down. Currently, he was covered in bruises, his lips and jaw swollen, his eye turning black, and his arm bandage still a sickly red color. He had a dopey smile on his face that I’d never seen before, not even when he was dating Danielle or that Marie girl when we were in Ashley Waters.

 

“Are you okay, Nathan?” I asked softly.

 

Nathan grinned, coming to sit by me at the table. “Better than ever, actually. A little banged up, but still.”

 

“Did she drug you?” I whispered to him once everyone seemed to be going about their business and Ryzix left the table again.

 

“Not that I know of.” He frowned, crossing his arms. “She’s not threatening to cut our limbs off at the moment, so why be in a hurry when we have a chance to learn more about what’s going on here? Mr. B and Kota will be here tomorrow, no doubt. So, why not get comfortable until then?”

 

“I don’t know… maybe because we’re still in a murderer’s home?!” I whispered harshly.

 

“She’s not going to actually do anything,” Nathan frowned. “Believe me, I got her right where I want her. She'll be like putty in my hands…”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

He watched turned away and we both watched Sang flutter about the kitchen, weaving between the boys to get the food settled on plates to be brought to the table.

 

“I just am.” He sighed, setting his bruised chin on his fist as he leaned on the table, his eyes still following Sang.

 

“What happened in there?” I asked skeptically, unsure of how reliable he could be right now.

 

He was quiet for a moment. “What do you think of Sang?”

 

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

 

“I mean, besides the whole murdering thing, what do you think about her? I know you told the rest of the guys that she’s pretty. Do you really think that?”

 

 _‘She’s a beautiful mess, that’s what she is. I can’t lie… From the minute I woke up on that bus, I was smitten with her, even the tiniest bit. That was, until she killed Rocky. Then, I was just confused between the image of this sultry woman, and a murderer. She scares me, but I want to get closer at the same time. Something about her draws me to her.’_ I couldn’t help but snort at my own thoughts. _‘After everything that’s happened in the last few hours, I’m going insane. That’s the only explanation.’_

 

“Well…” I said, taking a minute to think. “I’m not going to lie. She’s not drop dead gorgeous, but she’s pretty in her own way. That is, when she’s not covered in someone’s blood. She’s messed-up, but she’s… interesting, to say the least.”

 

“What would you say if I thought I was falling for her?” He blurted.

 

I almost choked.

 

“I’d say you’re crazy. But, if you did what I think you did in there, I can’t blame you for wanting more.”

 

“We didn’t have sex, if that’s what your implying,” Nathan blushed. Actually blushed! He must really be into Sang…

 

So much for my chances.

 

_‘Not that I want one…Ugh. I need to stop thinking about this…’._

****

“If that’s what you feel, then that’s what you feel,” I muttered.  

 

“Dinner’s ready now,” Sang announced, setting a plate in front of each of us before setting her own down between Nathan and mine.

 

I looked down at the plate, finding a small scoop of vegetables and a moderate-sized hamburger. Compared to Nathan or any of the other guys’ plates, it was snack-sized, if anything.

 

“What is this?” I asked, feeling strangely insulted that she gave me less.

 

“I know you don’t like vegetables, but you have to eat some every now and then, Luke,” she chuckled. “I have some chocolate in the fridge I could promise you, if you’d like to have it?”

 

_‘Who the hell is this girl? How does she know this much information about us?’_

 

“Oh, did you mean the size? I know you haven’t been eating much. It’s not smart to try to stuff yourself full of food when you’re in that condition, trust me.” She shrugged, eating her own small helping of vegetables.

 

I didn’t know what to say.

 

“How could I forget? How was everyone’s day?” She grinned.

 

The night went on as Sang and those boys of hers joked around and, overall, tried to make us more comfortable. I wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she was succeeding. By the end of the night, I almost felt like I’d been around her for months…years, even.

 

It was the little things she did. A casual hand resting on my arm as she talked, or the look she gave me, as if something reminded her of me, and me only.

 

It wasn’t until she was showing me to the room she let me use last night that I got to talk to her alone again.

 

“What’s going to happen tomorrow? You have a plan, right? Because they’re going to come in here guns a-blazing,” I said.

 

“Luke Taylor, when did you become such a worry-wart? Everything’s going to be just fine,” she explained with a soothing tone and lifted a hand to my chin, making me look at her. “Even if it isn’t, things will work out. Trust me, I know what I’m getting myself into.”

 

She turned my face gently, surprising me when she got on her tippy-toes and kissed my cheek. “Get a good night’s rest, and leave the worrying to me, alright?”

 

I nodded mutely, still shocked.

 

_‘Who the hell is this girl…’_

 

She gave me a small smile, dropping her hand and walking down two doors and into what I assumed to be her own room.

 

I looked down the opposite end of the hall, and I saw Ryzix and Magnus quietly arguing. I caught them glancing back at me a few times, and the argument got more heated as they entered the room they were in front of.

 

But what just about stopped my heart was that Nathan’s eyes were locked on the door Sang went through.

 

_‘Oh no… He saw that, didn’t he?’_

 

He must have noticed me then, as he gave me a sad smile and with a nod, he entered the door behind him.

 

_‘What was that supposed to mean? Was he giving up? Did he take it as a challenge? I guess I’ll have to find out in the morning.’_


	9. Chapter 8

** Sang’s Pov **

****

The first thing I did when I got up the next morning was run downstairs and start making batter for pancakes.

 

_‘They always say, the way to a man is through his stomach. The Luke I know is definitely no exception…’_

“What are you doing up already? You’re usually a late sleeper,” Magnus murmured sleepily, tripping over his own feet as he made his way over to the table.

 

“I could say the same thing to you.” I looked up to the wall clock to see it was only eight a.m..

 

“I heard you get up, and I volunteered to see if you woke up from a nightmare, or it was something else,” he leaned his head in his hands, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“Volunteered, huh? By that, you mean Ryzix shook you awake then rolled over and fell back to sleep before you could object, right?” I gave him a knowing look and he smiled.

 

Dexter and I noticed months ago that there was something going on between Magnus and Ryzix. The arguments didn’t decrease like we wouldn’t have hoped, but instead turned into lovers’ spats instead.

 

Magnus was a careful guy and didn’t trust a lot of people, especially Ryzix when they first met. It wasn’t until Ryzix made himself a permanent fixture in the house that he started warming up to him. A little too much, perhaps, as I could see them sneaking kisses every now and then when they thought I wasn’t looking. The fact that I could hear their moans even from down the hall at night every now and then was certainly a tell-tale sign that something was going on.

 

Dexter and I teased them constantly about it and while they never denied it, they never admitted it, either.

 

“Yes. He’s a pain in my ass, I tell you. Who wakes someone up just to tell them to deal with something?” He grumbled.

 

“I’m just something to ‘deal with’ now?” I joked.

 

“You know what I meant,” he huffed.

 

We were quiet for a moment, soaking in the beauty in the bright morning. Magnus and I could do that, unlike the other boys. He always reminded me of Silas in a way, as he knew when to speak and when to let the moment pass.

 

The two other boys made me think of the Blackbourne team as well, and how similar they were to some of them.

 

If it wasn’t for my previous life, I believe that I could have fallen in love with any of those three boys. Or all three of them, even.

 

Thinking of them reminding me how much those nine boys effected my life at one time, and what kind of bubble they built for me to live in once we got out of Ashley Waters. What I believed then was a censored version of what was really going on. I didn’t know what world I lived in when I was with my stepmother, and I knew a different world with the boys, but it was not any less false than the first sixteen years of my life.  

 

I was angry for how they treated me for years, but I understood once I got this second chance. It was all about conditioning now, and teaching them that there was another way. The Academy taught them that it was alright to leave a loved one behind if it meant protecting them. If the Academy could condition them, then so could I. It couldn’t be too hard, right?

 

But, I knew from the moment my eyes laid on Luke again, my heart was still theirs. The only difference was now they had to show me they deserved it.

 

I poured the chocolate chips into the batter, stirring it up carefully with a spoon as to not crush any of the chips.

 

"Will you promise me one thing?" Magnus said so quietly that I almost didn't notice that he spoke. "Don't overwork yourself until they prove that they're worth it."

 

"I'm not going to overwork myself," I snorted, pouring the batter on the pan as I started my first pancake.

 

He gave me a look. "When you're given a project, you tend to throw your whole being into it. I just don’t want to see you fall into your old self just because you knew they liked you like that."

 

"I promise that I'll never be that girl again. I need to prove to myself that I've changed for the better." I flip the pancake, thinking about my own words.

 

_‘It’s going to be a struggle to really do it once I’m around the rest of the boys again. But I need to do it, for no one but myself.’_

"Have you thought about what you'll do if only half of them fall for you again?"

 

I stopped what I was doing.

 

"I don't want to think about that," I whispered.

 

"But it is possible, right? You’re not the same girl, and some of them really liked the Sang you were."

 

I smell the smoking coming off the pancake, but I ignored it in favor of the conversation.

 

"I'd have to deal with it, I guess. If I tried everything, and he still wasn't into me, I’d have to let him go. It’s the right thing to do, anyway,” I affirmed.

 

“Will you be able to do that? Leave one or two out of the overall equation?”

 

“I don’t want to consider what _might_ happen. When the time comes, I’ll have to figure that stuff out,” I said with a small smile.

 

“Will you turn off that ruckus already?! Some of us wanted to sleep in,” Ryzix yelled, padding his way into the kitchen with bare feet. It was only then that I realized that the smoke alarm was going off.

 

I quickly turned the stovetop off, waving my hand over the burnt pancake to hopefully get rid of the smoke that was triggering it. When that didn’t work, I tried throwing out the pancake all together, but it still was going off.

 

“What’s going on?” Luke asked, walking into the kitchen with Nathan.

 

“I was just trying to do something nice for you!” I yelled, wanting to pull my hair out of my head.

 

Dexter pushed by the boys, grabbing a chair and in one go, got the thing to turn off.

 

“Can’t even handle a damn fire alarm…” he murmured grumpily.

 

“Thank you,” I grinned.

 

He gave me a small grin before he gave the boys in the doorway a dirty look, exiting the kitchen just as fast as he entered it. He didn’t miss the chance to push by the boys again, probably taking pleasure in the way they stumbled.

 

“What were you trying to do?” Luke asked, coming up beside me at the stove.

 

“I was trying to make pancakes as a thank you of sorts… You know, for not searching the house for a gun or something and trying to shoot my head off the first moment you got,” I pointed at the neglected bowl on the counter.

 

“Are those chocolate chips?” He asked, picking up the bowl.

 

“Yeah. I thought you might like them, since you like chocolate so much,” I said with a small, shy smile. Internally, I was grinning, hoping that this would mean some progress for Luke and me.

 

“I love chocolate chip pancakes,” he grinned, looking down at the bowl. “North hates them, but if I could have them for every meal, I’d die a happy man.”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I chuckled, “But I do really like them. I ended up burning one while I was talking, though, which was the scene you walked in on. I’m not cut out for this cooking thing, it seems.”

 

“You can’t cook?” He asked, shock evident on his face.

 

“It’s not that I _can’t_ cook. It’s just that I don’t get to do it as often as I used to with Ryzix around the house,” I explained.

 

“Oh, don’t blame your issues on me,” Ryzix called out from where he had his head in the fridge, digging something out to eat, most likely.

 

“Well, maybe I could help you out with the pancakes? Uncle had to teach me all about cooking so I’d be able to take over the Diner one day. Not that I mind, really. The only way I’d get food like this,” he held up the bowl as he drizzled some of the batter on the pan and resumed the stovetop cooking, “was to learn how to do it myself.”

 

“He’s an amazing cook, really,” Nathan stated, coming further into the kitchen and sitting beside Magnus and mirroring his tired pose.

 

What do you think? Are you as good as he says?" I teased, looking at Luke.

 

"I can be pretty good. In the right kitchen, of course," he winked, flipping the pancake.

 

"Does my kitchen meet your standards?" I asked suggestively.

 

"From where I'm standing," he looked at me, "It's got a few features I'm growing to like."

 

"'Growing to', huh? I'll keep that in mind," I whispered, brushing against him as I moved to grab some plates from the cupboard.

 

_'So_ _far, Nathan and Luke have been acting normal with each other. Neither one is acting jealous, or snubbing the other like I expected. However, Luke has become more... flirty this morning. Did the kiss on his cheek jumpstart his heart, or is there more that's going on?'_

 

I didn't get my answer until that afternoon when I overheard Nathan's conversation with Luke in the living room. Leaning on the wall by the door, I listened to what they were apparently arguing about, before realizing it was about me.

 

"Its fine, Luke. Don't worry about it."

 

"But you said yesterday..."

 

"I said that I _might_ be falling for her. I'm not any less or more certain about it, even after she kissed you. It doesn't matter to me, really."

 

It was silent for a moment before Luke's quiet voice piped up. "But-." He was quickly interrupted.

 

"Don't stress yourself out. Honestly, you could have been having sex on the floor and...well, I actually would have objected then, but still. She could have done anything in that moment, and I wouldn't be able to say much about it. She's not my girlfriend, so I can't just tell her what I want or don't want her doing."

 

They were both quiet again until Nathan was the one to break the silence this time. "You know, she mentioned something like that yesterday."

"What?"

 

"She said something about sharing... how she's not about to share us with another girl, but she doesn't have a problem sharing herself. She was almost encouraging it, I think," Nathan stated.

 

_'So, he isn't as easily convince as I thought. Good to know he's listening, though.'_

 

"So what's that supposed to mean? We just carry on doing what she wants and she'll tell us if we've done good enough to live another day?" Luke huffed.

 

"I could be totally wrong about this, you know. She may just be playing around with us, for all I know."

 

"I don't know what to think. The way Dexter, Ryzix, and Magnus talk about her, there's more than meets the eye. I think she's broken... or was broken in the past, like us. But unlike us, she had no one around to help her glue herself back together again, and she turned into that person we met on that bus," Luke explained.

 

"So...what? You think she has some sort of split personality? One she showed us a few nights ago, and then a different one she's shown us since then?"

 

"All I'm just saying is that she might have gone through a lot. Maybe we could help her, maybe we can't. We don't know anything about her, and Vic says there's nothing out there that says 'Sang Sorenson' even exists."

 

"So, what do you think we should do about it?"

 

"I say we wait until Kota, Mr. Blackbourne, and everyone else gets here, and we'll see what kind of plan we can come up with. For now, we need to act normal," Luke stated.

 

_'Hmm... They've_ _already started to believe that I'm_ _someone that's "_ _broken"_ _and needs help. That's_ _quicker than I anticipated, as I expected it after the team was at my door step. It's_ _better than having them believe that I'm_ _some mindless murderer. This only means I have a way to set them on the right path, and convince them to see things my way.'_

I quietly stepped away from the doorway, turning back silently and heading towards the kitchen. As predicted, Ryzix was filling a bucket full of soapy water to use to mop the tiles in the kitchen.

 

"Where's Dex and Magnus?" I asked.

 

"No clue. Mag said he might get a run in before he headed into town, but I'm not sure about Dexter," he said with a shrug. "Why?"

 

"I was thinking of doing some cardio too before doing some yoga in the yard. Care to join me?" I walked towards the farthest wall from where I was standing and through the doorway to the laundry room, expecting him to follow me.

 

"I just got done with that laundry, missy! Leave it alone and go dirty some other clothes!" He reprimanded me.

 

"That's not an answer," I grinned.

 

"I have things I have to get done today. You know, things that keeps this house clean and food on the table for your boys?"

 

"Fine," I huffed. "Just know that as soon everything's back to normal around here, I'll have you back to training with me at least four hours in the morning for missing days."

 

"Yes, ma'am," he fake-saluted, lifting the bucket out of the sink and getting to work.

 

Grabbing clothes from the top of the laundry basket with a grin, I set off to change into jogging pants and a long sleeve shirt before heading out the door with a heavy coat on. Breathing in the late winter air, I began a light jog through the woods to warm me up, reflecting on the last week in silence.


	10. Chapter 9

** Sang's ** ** Pov **

 

I couldn't say I wasn't disappointed when the boys didn't arrive not only before dinner that night, but also didn't show up before everyone started to get hungry for dinner the next night. I was surprised, however, to find Luke digging through the kitchen cupboards.

 

"What are you doing?" I asked with a small smile.

 

Luke jumped, seemingly caught doing something he didn't want me to know about.

 

"I was looking for ingredients I could use to start dinner," he explained, still sorting through the cupboards.

 

"You don't have to do that, really. You're a guest here."

 

"I'm not your guest. You're just holding us here until the rest of my team get here," he said bitterly.

 

 

I tensed. "Now, what makes you say that?"

_'Where_ _the hell did this attitude come from? Did I miss something?'_

 

"You didn't exactly invite me home, Sang. You took me against my will, and then you're acting it didn't happen," he said, exasperated.

_'What's_ _gotten into him? Would he have rather have me continuously reminding him that I stole him, then kept him around for blackmail material?'_

 

"I'm sorry, alright? I know, I went overboard that night, but I can't take it back. All we can do is go forward from there, and get to know each other," I huffed. "From the moment you woke up here, you were a guest in this house. So, that means you need to get your hands out of my cabinets."

 

He moved away from the cabinets, but not without giving me a dirty look.

 

"I can't change what happened, Luke. It's done and over with. I'm trying to show you that I'm not like that. Not all the time, at least," I explained, walking over to his side. "Will you ever forgive me?"

 

He sighed. "Eventually... maybe. I don't know."

_'That's_ _as far as I'm going to get today, isn't it?'_

 

"I hope you will, because I want to keep in touch with you. Even once you leave," I whispered, touching his hand where he was leaning on the counter.

 

"What are you planning?" He asked, studying me.

 

"I have my reasons for everything. From the first person I've killed, all the way until this point. I don't just go around and shoot everyone I see, and it's never without reason. I also believe everything happens for a reason. Even failed relationships happen for a reason. All it means is that something wasn't clicking between the them. Maybe the girl was too meek and quiet, or the men were too stubborn or didn't listen to her concerns enough."

 

"Men?" He asked.

 

"Yes. I find it fascinating, how a group of individuals, all different from one another, can have such big hearts to come to love a woman or man. Sure, there's many issues that could pop up, but don't you find it interesting? That someone could have the capacity to love more than one person equally?" I explained.

 

"I've never thought about it, really. I guess that would be interest, but how would the men in the situation get over the jealousy? Men can get pretty possessive in relationship, you know."

 

"A lot of things, if not all, can be easily solved by communication. Expressing your jealousy would relieve the tension in the relationship between the boys and you, and between you and the girl. It's so simple, and yet so many people in even two-person relationships overlook it."

 

We were quiet for a few moments before his stomach growled, reminding us why we were in the kitchen.

 

"How about we go out and get something to eat, since you're starving to death here," I joked, poking his grumbling stomach.

 

He swatted my hand away. "I wouldn't mind cooking, seriously."

 

I waved a hand in his direction. "There's nothing in the house to eat, anyway. We didn't go shopping yet this week, and I wasn't expecting guests, so the food went faster than I wanted it to."

 

"We didn't eat that much!" Luke insisted.

 

"No, but the boys and I don't usually eat the type of meals we've made the last two days. One or two of us are almost always never home at meal times, so we don't make big meals or cook anything beyond pasta or a bowl of raviolis."

 

"That's not very healthy," Luke pointed out.

 

"No, but that's how our household is like. We make sure everyone eats something when they get home, rest assured. No one ever goes to bed hungry, at least when Ryzix is home."

 

I grabbed Luke's hand, pulling him behind me as I went in the opposite direction of the living room.

 

"Where are we going?" He asked, but he didn't yank his hand back.

 

"We're going into city to get some pizza," I answered, pulling him through the house by his hand. I grabbed my coat and one of the boys' before dragging him through the doorway leading to the unlit garage.

 

"Just you and I?" He asked, skeptically.

 

"Just you and me. Unless you're scared to be alone with me," I whispered in his ear. I felt him shiver as my breath must have tickled his neck. I pushed the coat into his chest. "Put that on."

 

"I'm not scared," he answered quietly, taking the coat.

 

"Good. Then get in the car." I flicked the light switch on the wall and the dim lights came on slowly overhead. I watched as Luke got acquainted with the layout of the room, taking in the two cars and the motorcycle sitting in the room, as well as the tools piled on the work table in the corner.

 

"Are you working on something?" He asked.

 

I shrugged before sliding on my own coat. "Magnus offered to fix up my bike, so I told him to go wild with it, if he wants. What I didn't tell him was that if he fixes it well enough, he can have it."

"Your bike?" He gave me a weird look.

 

“In the sense that I own it, yes. It was a gift from an unwanted friend. It's not really my style to ride around on it, though. Why? What's the problem?"

 

"I didn't think about it before, but I can definitely see you as a biker type now," he answered.

 

"Sweetie, you don't even know what type I am." I grabbed the keys for the nearest car, which happened to be Magnus', and walked over to the driver's side and getting inside. I didn't exactly like cars when I was out on missions or my own personal assignments, but they're useful when I needed to get small tasks done.

 

After a few seconds, Luke got in the passenger seat, and before I could regret this, I started up the car and drove down the driveway leading down the hill and onto the road. I drove in silence for most of the way until Luke spoke.

 

"You're right. I don't know anything about you."

 

"Ask me anything you like, and I'll try to answer to the best of my ability," I responded.

 

"What happened to you?"

 

"You're going to have to be more specific than that," I snorted.

 

"Fine. How did you end up in Charleston?"

 

"I've travelled a lot in the last few years out of necessity, but I decided two months ago to settle down in Charleston for a while. Something about the area was calling to me, and I finally gave in."

 

"Do you know what was calling you here now?" He asked softly.

 

I took my eyes off the road for a second, looking him in the eye. "Yeah. I have a pretty good idea."

 

"How do you know about my team and the Academy?"

 

"I have my resources," I answered vaguely, knowing that I couldn't give him my real answer. Not yet, at least.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"It means that it's time for a new question," I muttered.

 

"How did you meet those roommates of yours?" He asked.

 

"Ryzix, Dexter, and Magnus? I met them at different points in the last five years, but I couldn't ask for better people I could have met. They're definitely the best friends a girl could ask for," I grinned.  

 

We'd been driving only another few minutes before I turned onto Market Street and found the shop I was looking for. Pulling into the parking lot across from Pizzeria Di Giovanni, a high-end pizza place, I was out of the car and waiting near the crosswalk before Luke could get out of the car.

 

"Wait! You can't just walk in there, can you? Isn't that place pretty exclusive to certain customers? Don't you have to at least call in an order first?" Luke called out, running after me as the hand on the crosswalk sign turned green.

 

"I haven't been here long, but I don't just stay in the house all day, as much as the last few days may make you think. I go out and connect with the types of people that will allow me to get further in life," I explained.

 

"Including the local pizzeria?" He asked.

 

"Yes," I said slowly, feeling as if I was talking to a child instead of an Academy member, "You never know when you're going to meet someone outside their workplace, and how it may work to your advantage in a situation to know someone."

 

Luke was unusually quiet as we entered the pizzeria, contemplating something, it seemed.

"“Sang! What are you doing here so early? You don’t usually grace us with your presence unless it's a Friday," Karen said, looking up from the cash register as the door chimed with our entrance.

 

It was a surprise to find Karen working here when I first came to Charleston, but it wasn't an unwelcomed discovery. Karen and I connected over drinks every other Saturday as we talked about the city gossip, especially when it came to the victims of the local killer.

 

"I've had a few guests over this week, and I forgot to stock up on enough food, so I’m stuck ordering out today,” I grinned.

 

“We’ll you came to the right place then. The usual?” She asked, already writing something down and heading towards the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, throw another large pepperoni in there, and I’ll love you forever,” I called out to her.

 

“Sure thing!”

 

When she was gone, Luke grabbed my arm.

 

“Are you planning to hurt her, or something? Why are you so chummy with her?”

 

“I can have friends, Lucian,” I snapped and yanked my arm out of his grasp, using his full first name to emphasize my point. “My world doesn’t revolve around you, the Academy, or death. Unlike you, I know how to separate my personal life and my job.”

 

He shut up, but I couldn’t be more furious at myself for wanting to give these boys another chance. Sure, it was just Luke, but Luke was supposed to be… easy. He was supposed to be the one I would be able to get on my side and could use to convince the others. I planned to use him to help the others realize their attraction to me once we met again, like I did with Nathan. But he was proving difficult already.

 

“Your pizza should be ready any minute now. Jeremy said he was working on your order before anyone else’s. It’s been a little slow around here without Jay in the kitchen,” Karen explained, walking back out from the back part of the shop.

 

Both Luke and I perked up.

 

“That’s unfortunate. It’s not like him to not show up, right?” I asked.

 

“No. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He usually calls in, if he knows he wasn’t going to be coming into work. It’s been three days, though, and I’m getting worried.”

 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” I said, trying to reassure her.

 

“What if the killer found him and attack him? Do you think that’s possible?”

 

“Karen, I’m sure Jay was smart enough not to travel alone, and you know that manic only attacks if someone’s alone.”

 

Luke snorted, but didn’t add anything to the conversation.

 

“You’re right… I’m just being paranoid about it,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll go check on your pizzas.”

 

“Thank you, Karen. Take your time, really. I’m in no hurry.”

 

I sat down at one of the smaller tables as I waited, watching as more customers came and went, taking their waiting orders and going back to their cars to drive home to their families. Families that wouldn’t think of leaving them behind, no matter what.

 

Luke stayed where he was near the door, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed.

 

“Sang, your order’s ready,” Karen called out about fifteen minutes later, hands balancing three boxes of pizza and a container of mild boneless wings.

 

“Thank you. Tell everyone I said hi, alright?” I grinned, taking the order from her and heading towards the door.

 

“Coming?” I said pointedly, looking at Luke.

 

He opened his eyes, huffing before he stood up straight and told the food in my hands.

 

“I can carry that,” I grumbled.

 

“Can you get the door?” He asked, ignoring me.

 

I nodded, pulling the door open and letting him go first. I directed him across the street and towards the car, instructing him to put the food in the back seat.

 

Getting in the car, I waited until Luke got in before starting it up.

 

Not even a minute passed of being back on the road before Luke spoke up.

 

“Sang, I-“

 

“It’s fine, Luke. If I was in your position, I’d think the worse of me, too,” I sighed.

 

“You don’t exactly make it easy to think otherwise,” he murmured. “You _killed_ her friend. How could you talk to her like everything was fine? How can I be stupid enough to think anything good about you?"

 

I flinched. "You could have left at any time if you felt so threatened. You could have walked out my front door or you could have just walked out of the pizza shop back there and went to go find your team. However, you didn't even think about doing that, did you? Why?"

 

He went silent.

 

"There's no wrong answers."

 

“Maybe I wanted to make sure you didn’t kill anyone. How was I supposed to know if you’d hurt someone in order to find me again?” He huffed.

 

“You’re implying that I was looking for you in the first place.”

 

“Weren’t you?” He frowned.

 

“Yes and no. But that’s not the real reason you stayed, was it?” He was causing me to come too close to revealing things before I was ready, so I needed to get him back on track. I allowed one hand slip from the wheel and laid it on top of his hand where it was resting on his armrest. "No, you're just confused. You know I won't hurt you or Nathan, but you're afraid I'll lash out against someone else if you do something I don't like. You're trying to figure me out, and it's not for your mission. You're genuinely interested in me, aren't you?"

 

He didn't answer, but he didn't move his hand either. I drove like that for a little while before I broke the silence when I got on the street where my home was.

 

“You have the right to think what you want, but can you at least hold your judgement until your team and I meet?” I asked.

 

He nodded, continuing his gaze out the window beside him.

 

When I got to the top of the hill, I froze, finding my driveway with three extra vehicles than I left it.

 

“Seems like we’re going to find out right now,” I murmured, parking the car, and getting out.

 

Luke was on my tail, grabbing my arm. “What are you going to do, rush in there, guns a-blazing?”

 

“Do you trust me not to hurt them?” I lifted my eyebrow.

 

He studied me for a moment.

 

“Prove to me that I can trust you.”

 

“How?” I asked, exasperate.

 

_‘If he wastes my time, and one of my boys in there are put at unnecessary risk… I don’t know what I will do…’_

 

“Answer me why you’ve now lured my team here for no reason,” he snapped.

 

“No reason? Is your life continuing not reason enough?”

 

“They would have been fine if something actually happened to me. They’d move on eventually.”

 

“This. This right here is why those boys are in my house right now!” I yelled, stabbing a finger into his chest. “Whatever has gotten you into this mindset, that no one cares about you and your wellbeing. They're here for me to find out why you think that. If it's because of those boys in there, I'll straighten them out real quick. You, Lucian Taylor, are someone important and you're worth more than you're making yourself out to be. I'll prove it to you, if you just let me," I pleaded, grasping each of his upper arms roughly.

 

He stood there, slack-jawed.

"

“Now, I repeat: Do. You. Trust. Me?”

 

He visibly gulped before nodding.

 

“Then grab the gun out of the glove compartment and give it to me, you’re too tall for me to use anything else.”

 

He gave me an uneasy look before going over to grab it, handing it to me with hesitant hands.  

 

“You said you trust me, so prove it,” I smiled, placing a gentle hand on his back for reassurance and the nose of the gun beside it. “Now, open the front door, and we’ll get this improv family meeting started.”

 


	11. Chapter 10

** Sang’s Pov **

****

_‘And so the night begins, it seems…’_

Luke pushed the front door open and we heard a hiss of pain as the door made contact with something.

 

“Ow! Be careful with that thing, jeez,” Nathan muttered, rubbing his forehead.

 

“Where is everyone?” I snapped, dropping the gun instantly.

 

“They’re looking for him,” he pointed at Luke. “When they got here, they asked if I knew where he was, and when I said no, they split up and told me to guard the door.”

 

“They better not be making a mess. Ryzix just cleaned the house yesterday.” I growled, pushing by Luke and starting towards the stairs.

 

“Sang, wait!” Luke called out.

 

“What?” I snapped.

 

“Give me the gun first.”

 

“You really think your team will think twice before shooting me if I’m unarmed?” I asked, incredulously.

 

“I just think it’s safer if you give me the gun,” he said sheepishly. “They won’t shoot without questioning you, so you’ll be safe without it.”

 

I thought for a moment.

 

_‘If this doesn’t convince him, he’s a lost cause.’_

“Here,” I said, handing him the gun. “I’m trust you, so don’t make me regret it. I can’t promise you that my boys haven’t already grabbed some of yours, and that none of them weren’t and/or won’t be hurt when I find them.”

 

“That’s all I’m asking for,” he smiled.

 

I backed away towards the stairs, giving him a grin. “The gun was empty anyway, so it wouldn’t have been much use.”

 

He laughed, surprising me as I started up the stairs.

 

Realizing Luke was right, I wasn’t too worried as I slinked along the hallway wall, unarmed but ready to attack. I heard rummaging in my bedroom, and I inched closer.

 

_‘There’s only three of them that I need to get to today. I could have my numbers then, and the rest can wait.’_

 

"Black shirts? Black jeans? What the fuck is this, the female version of North…?" Gabriel grumbled, sorting through my closet with the occasional frown at a piece of clothing he'd touch.

_‘What to do… There’s so many ways I could play this. I could joke with him, I could sneak up on him, or I could play the victim and get him to like me first… Too many decisions, but not enough time.’_

 

“I know, right? Add a little color, at least. Maybe a skirt or two would liven up her life and she’d look like more of a girl. And this frumpy hair?” I ran my hands through the locks in front of my shoulders, leaning on the wall just inside the room. “It’s ridiculous. Has she ever been to the salon, or does she actually like killing her hair day by day?”

 

He choked on a bout of laugher.

 

“I wasn’t going to say that, but you might be on to something,” he grinned, stepping away from my closet. “A wardrobe change, and a few run-throughs of new hair products, and I’m sure she could look even prettier, but I’m afraid to see the result.”

 

“Why is that?” I asked, pushing off the wall, walking towards him slowly.

 

He snorted. “A beautiful girl can be a dangerous thing.” He paused. “Are you as much trouble as everyone’s saying you are?”

 

“No,” I whispered with a grin. “Much worse.”

 

“Why can’t I believe that?” He closed the distance between us until we were only a foot apart.

 

I ignored what he said, instead focusing on him himself. “Not as different as I was expecting… Headstrong, but I can tell something’s off about you.”

 

“You’re crazy,” he stated.

 

“You don’t believe that. Not _really_. You’re hoping that Luke told you the truth, and I’m some misunderstood girl that got in over her head when she grabbed an Academy boy. You’re hoping everything you’ve heard about me before now was false, and that I’m a confused, but sweet Southern belle.” I reached a hand up, grasping his chin roughly when he tried to avoid looking at me, digging my nails into his face enough to make marks but not to draw blood.

 

“Pay attention,” I snapped.

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes expressed how nervous he was.

 

“I know a lot about you, Gabriel Coleman, and hiding from me never does you any good.” I sighed. “You and I are very alike, especially when it comes to one thing: We both care about Luke. I know you didn’t believe Luke or Nathan when they tried to convince you that they were safe with me, but deep down you knew that Luke could be right.” I tightened my grip slightly before letting go, caressing his cheek gently, which I could tell confused him. “That Luke had found somewhere, even under odd circumstances, besides with you that he felt safe.”

 

“Was he really safe?” He asked.

 

“Safer than he seemed with you,” I whispered.

 

He flinched before I could continue. “I may play games, harsh ones more often than none, but Luke and yourself are safe here. I wanted to make sure Luke wasn’t seriously hurt, as I found him starved and unhappy. I wanted to know what happened to put him in that state, because I care a lot about his wellbeing.”

 

“Promise you’re telling the truth, and you won’t hurt any of my brothers again, especially Luke,” he whispered.

 

“I’ll keep my word that they won’t be seriously hurt, if you don’t hunt me down, or tell anyone I’m home before I can talk to some of your brothers, and explain myself. I can trust you, can’t I?” I pouted, knowing exactly what it did to him.

 

“You’re just full of trouble, aren’t you?” He groaned.

 

“Yes. But it’s up to you to decide if I’m worth all of it,” I winked, dropping my hand and stepping away from him. “Luke is downstairs with Nathan, and be glad I was the one to find you.”

 

With that said, I exited my bedroom, letting Gabriel make the choice of what he wanted to do in this situation. He could call out for another one of the boys, or he could rush to Luke and into a possible trap.

 

However, he needed to be put out of my mind as I obtained my next task, seeing Sean, Victor, and Owen exiting Ryzix’s bedroom down the hall. My blood boiled as thoughts ran through my head at lightning speed, concluding that someone I loved was hurt because of me. Again.

 

If I thought about this later, I’d imagine that I would believe I was driven mad from living for so long and having my past and present clash together faster than I was expecting. But in the moment, I believed making a game out the situation was the best course of action.

 

I snuck up behind Victor, who was lagging behind Owen and Sean in his search of the rooms after Ryzix’s bedroom. I slipped a decently-sized pocket knife out of my jacket pocket, swinging it around until it placed at the base of Victor’s throat. I wrapped my other arm around his waist, holding him close to me.

 

“Say a word, and I’ll use it,” I whispered.

 

I could tell his mind was working quickly, trying to figure out a plan to get himself out of the situation.

 

I didn’t take long for Owen to notice that Victor wasn’t behind them. With little warning, he whipped around and had his gun pointed at Victor and I, Sean a second behind him.                                                                                           

 

“Finally, someone’s smart enough to raise a gun,” I murmured.

 

“What do you want, Miss Sorenson?” Owen asked slowly, trying not to provoke me.

 

_‘Forever the formalities with women, Owen… That’s a habit that needs to be broken quicker than the first time. What held him back last time? It was my age when we were at Ashley Waters, but this time we are adults. You can do this Sang, it’s just Owen. If you can convince Owen to see you differently from the start, this game will be won before it even properly begins.’_

 

“Now, now. Let’s drop the formalities if we’re going to talk like adults, Owen,” I grinned when I saw him tense at his name.

 

“I see no reason to get… comfortable with one another, Miss Sorenson. We are simply here to retrieve Mr. Taylor Senior and Mr. Griffin and leave. That is all.”

 

“You’ve grown boring, Owen. Aren’t you even slightly curious about who I am, and how I know so much?” I inched closer, but stopped with the cock of one of their guns.

 

“I’ll shoot if you come closer,” Sean warned.

 

I took another step.

 

“I’m serious,” he said.

 

I tilted my head with interest. “I never thought I’d see the day when Sean Green had to point out that he was serious. If you were serious, I’d already be wounded.” I walked a little faster, pushing Victor in front of me until I stood in front of him. “if either of you were serious, I wouldn’t have been allowed to get this close.” I pushed Victor away, closing the knife up and slipping it back in my pocket.

 

“Shooting is neither of your styles,” I said, grabbing the gun that was now pointed towards my chest, yanking it toward me and opened it up, emptying it onto the floor before dropping it.

 

“Owen, I’m expecting to find that my friend has been injured. Is that a logical presumption?” I asked, keeping my eyes on Sean and Victor, who seemed to be in shock to see me now that I wasn’t behind him.

 

“Miss Sorenson, I think it is you who needs to explain herself,” Owen said in a stern voice that would have deterred me before, but only fueled my anger now.

 

“Mr. Blackbourne, it is my home you’ve bombarded your way into, so is not your responsibility to tell your teammates whether or not to shoot? Now, did Sean or yourself shoot my friend, or not?”

 

“You’ve hurt Nathan, so we hurt your friend. It’s not a big deal, and he’ll heal. An eye for an eye, the saying goes,” Sean responded.

 

“If everyone followed that philosophy, the whole world would be blind,” I snapped, feeling past pain rise in my chest the more he spoke. “Now, I expect you to do your job as a doctor and help my friend. I need to discuss matters with Owen that don’t concern you or Victor.”

 

“It does concern me if it has to do with my brothers and my team,” he snapped.

 

“Do you not trust Owen to the relay the information to you, himself?” I asked with a smirk.

 

Sean opened his mouth to say something else but Owen interrupted him before he could. “Go, Sean, Victor. I’ll handle this, you handle finding Luke and Nathan after you help her friend.”

 

“But Owen—“

 

“Sean, no,” Owen said sternly.

 

I looked at Owen, seeing him in a different light for a few seconds and hoping my plan would work.

 

“Drop the gun, and follow me,” I stated, taking a step back from Sean. “His name is Ryzix, by the way. The least you could have done was give someone the respect of asking their name before hurting them.”

 

When Owen was done emptying the gun, I grabbed his arm, pulling him into my office. Grabbing my chair from behind the desk, I pulled it into the middle of the room.

 

“Sit down, and we’ll discuss the last few days, shall we?“ I smiled, leaning against the front of my desk and, as a result, in front of the chair.  Owen silently sat in the chair as if it was his choice to do so, not something I ordered. “I would have put you in the same room as Nathan was in, but it’s a mess right now, and I assume that I can trust that you won’t be stupid.”

 

“May I ask how you came to that assumption, Miss Sorenson?” He asked with the tiniest lift of his eyebrow.

 

I stood up from where I was leaning, deciding to circle the chair instead as I contemplated my words.

 

“Because you and I aren’t too different. In a way, we are two sides of the same coin. You, Owen Blackbourne, know how to manipulate a situation until you mold it exactly into what you imagined. I even let it happen to me before. Now, it’s my turn.” I stopped in front of the chair, planting my hands on either side of him. “You don’t know what to do with yourself when the control is stolen out of your hands. Like right now.” I grabbed his tie, beginning to undo it. “You don’t know how to handle a girl like me. You’d be afraid to approach me if you met me anywhere else, because you’d know that you couldn’t be the Mr. Perfect you like to paint yourself to be. Hell, I can tell you’re scared even now.”

 

“Miss Sorenson. I don’t see where this is going,” he breathed when I got the tie undone, throwing it aside.

 

“Precious little Owen,” I smiled, brushing my hand through his perfectly-styled hair and down his face, cupping his chin softly. “Always my favorite, even in the end. Out of you nine, anyone who met you all would believe Victor or Luke were the most loyal. However, it was always you who believed me and defended me against the boys.” His eyes fluttered closed after a few moments of my soft touch. “You were one of the ones I hoped hadn’t changed much.”

 

“What are you talking about?” He asked.

 

“The easiest way to explain this is to tell you that I know you all. You’ll probably think I’m absolutely mental, but I’m from a past you can’t remember. We met when you were nineteen, a week before you began your mission at Ashley Waters, and we fell in love with each other slowly. We were married, even. But things came between us… and you left me. You and boys left me alone and never contacted me again.”

 

Silence followed.

 

“Do you believe me… even the slightest?” I asked, tentatively.

 

“How is it that you remember our supposed past, but I do not?”

 

_‘That’s not an answer…’_

 

I paused, deciding how to explain. “Do you believe in fate? From what I understand, our first life together didn’t happen the way it was supposed to, so I was able to go back and change the time we’ve met. You all hurt me, badly. But even with me trying to avoid you, I felt like I was always going in the wrong direction until I came to Charleston. It was then that I decided that it was time to draw your attention to me again, instead of hiding in the shadows.”

 

“So you decided to start killing people excessively, knowing that we couldn’t ignore you,” he said, catching on to what I was saying.

 

“So do you believe me?”

 

He was silent for a moment.

 

“What I don’t understand is what you were trying to do. Why did you want our attention, if we apparently hurt you? Are you not afraid we could do it again?”

 

I leaned closer, stopping inches before his face.

 

“The difference is that I’m not the little girl you met at sixteen this time,” I whispered. “You’re all also not the men I first met. I’m stronger, and I won’t be pushed around. Don’t you want to prove that I wasn’t wrong for favoring you, even now? I could have told someone else first, but I trusted that you would help me. Am I wrong?”

 

“Miss Sorenson, if you don’t mind me saying, there hasn’t been anything you’ve said that would appear truthful or be beneficial to my team.”

 

“Helping me will be beneficial for you. Sometimes, you need to put yourself before your family, and before the Academy. This is one of those times. But,” I leaned in closer, whispering in his ear. “I will easily be able to find way to… motivate you, if you doubt me.”

 

“How will you accomplish that?” He asked.

 

“There are quite a few ways I could do it. I know just how to get to you, whether it’s coming up with an outcome you’ll like or to put you through hell. The choice is yours.” With a short kiss to his cheek, I backed away. “But I’m sure you can keep this a secret between us, either way. Why don’t you go check on Sean’s progress?”

 

“Right now, the only thing I can ascertain is that it would be beneficial for you to seek medical help. Sean or I could easily find someone for you to—“

 

My hand came into contact with his face before I could even think.

 

“Fuck you, Owen,” I snapped. “Fuck you and your high-and-mighty attitude.” I stormed of my office, livid with this turn of events.

 

Checking the rest of the rooms, I steeled myself. I wasn’t sure _who_ I was hoping to find, but with four boys yet to be found, the options were waning. All I knew was that there were a few of the boys that I wouldn’t be successful with on a chance meeting in the hallway.

 

“Sang,” Magnus said, pulling me aside. “We have a problem, I think.”

 

He pulled me along until we came upon Dexter’s room, pushing the door open and nudging me inside.

 

“He snuck up on me, and I just reacted… I didn’t mean to knock him out,” he whispered hastily, indicating his fright in the situation.

 

Laying across his bed was a sleeping Kota.

 

I took a huge inhale and exhale, trying to calm myself down as I realized how the rest of the boys would react if they had found him.

 

_‘At least I don’t have to listen to him lecture…’_

 

“Mag, it’s no big deal. He’s only knocked out, not dead. He’ll wake up eventually.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“Have you seen any of the others?” I asked.

 

“Most of them have snuck back downstairs by now.”

 

_‘Great… just great.’_


	12. Chapter 11

** Luke’s Pov **

 

“Guys! Guys! I’m fine!” I chuckled. Almost everyone was downstairs now, checking Nathan and I over. Dr. Green and Kota were the only ones missing as far as I could see.

 

“Why the fuck would you run off like that! See what happens when you don’t go along with a plan! You get kidnapped, that’s what happens! You’re lucky Victor was able to tap into your phone and give us time to get here. I don’t know what she would have done if we didn’t come here tonight,” Gabriel yelled, barely taking a breath in between sentences as he hugged me tightly.

 

“Look what she did to Nathan. What were you going to do if she cornered you like that?” North barked.

 

“For the last time, she didn’t _corner_ me. She knocked me out on the bus and had me tied to a chair, that’s it. The rest wasn’t her fault, except for the phone call. She didn’t do anything to me that wasn’t welcomed,” Nathan winked.

 

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” North whispered, yanking Gabriel away from me before embracing me himself.

 

“They were fine, as you can see. Not a hair on their heads unharmed… more than necessary, that is,” Sang chuckled.

 

“What is this all about? Money? Information?” Victor asked accusatorially.

 

“I have no need for either of those things. But I understand why you would come to that conclusion. This is nothing more than being the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she shrugged.

 

“I don’t believe that,” North snorted.

 

“Just hear her out, jeez. Maybe you’d hear the answer you like, if you listened to her for a few seconds,” Nathan snapped.

 

I knew Nathan was right, but I was slightly uncomfortable with the situation. Nathan and I were, more or less, defending our captor against our brothers. It felt wrong on so many levels, but right as well. Sang wasn’t doing anything wrong, exactly. Like she said tonight, Nathan and I had the choice to walk out that door at any time, but we didn’t. We stupidly made the choice to stay and figure out why she did what she did.

 

"It's fine, Nathan. North is just being himself, so you can't be mad at him for that. I'll explain myself soon enough." Sang smiled at Nathan when all of a sudden, something must have caught her eye, as her smile morphed into something mischievous almost.

 

"Darling, why'd you fix yourself up again?" She asked through her clenched, sauntering over to Mr. Blackbourne. I could tell that I wasn’t the only one holding their breath as she moved unbutton his suit jacket and then loosen his tie enough to pull over his head, throwing it behind her.

 

I think a few of my brothers gasped, including myself, when Mr. Blackbourne sighed and didn't move away as Sang took his glasses off, settling them in his pocket. Then, probably taking his sigh as a sign of reluctant acceptance, she reached up, running her fingers through his hair, messing up his perfect placement.

 

"I like you better this way," I heard her whisper. "Less like Mr. Perfect and more like the manipulative jerk you really are today."

 

"Mr. B, let's just head home," Victor insisted.

 

"Go ahead, then," Sang said, with a nonchalant wave as she went turned back towards the stairs. "Do whatever you want with yourselves. That's what you always do, anyway."

 

“What the hell is wrong with you? Is this just some sort of game to you? Playing with other people’s lives?” North snapped.

 

Gabriel had been silent since Sang came downstairs, I noted.

 

“ _You_ don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s all of you that can’t seem to leave me the fuck alone! I tried to _stay away_ and what do you all do? Walk into my life the second I enter this city. I’ve never asked for any of you to be in my life, and I certainly have enough Academy involvement to last me this lifetime, so why don’t you all just walk back out of it. That’s what you want to do, right? _Right_?!” If this wasn’t a sign of her going off the deep end, I don’t know what is.

 

“Ms. Sorenson, it may be best that we all find somewhere to sit and discuss what you’re referring to, exactly,” Mr. Blackbourne stated gently, and I could tell his hands were already itching to fix the mess she made of him.

 

“We can’t have a complete family meeting when one-third of mine and yours is missing.” She sighed, rubbing her palms into her eyes out of frustration.

 

“We can catch them up later, can’t we?” I blurted. I wanted to know what was going on, and I wanted to know now rather than later.

 

“This is a big deal, Lukey dear. It's just that she doesn’t wants to repeat it nine individual times,” Ryzix said with a grin, swinging an arm around my shoulder. “Your boys should be down any moment now. The one with the glasses may be a little groggy, however,”

 

“Why the hell would he be groggy?” Victor snapped.

 

“We play fair in this house. Your buddy shot at me, barely grazing the important things,” he said, patting his ribs, “So Mag knocked one of your other guys out. Sang told the doctor to fix his mistakes, so here I am, all patched up! No need for tears, though I appreciate the sentiment!” He patted my shoulder, as if he was try to console me.

 

“Ryz,” Sang growled.

 

“What?” He smiled sweetly.

 

“Shut up already and go help Sean to get Kota down the stairs,” she snapped.

 

He fake-saluted, “Yes, Ma’am!”

 

With that said, he made his journey up to the second floor two stairs at a time, rushing to get things done.

 

“Now, all of you, get settled in the living room,” she instructed with a grim tone.

 

Everyone gave her a mixture of looks, but complied anyway. However, just when Nathan and I were about to enter the living room, a tug on the back of my shirt stopped me.

 

“You two need to follow me. We need to talk before this meeting.” She didn’t look happy, which made my stomach fill with dread of the upcoming situation.

 

Pulling us through the door of the kitchen, we found Dexter and Magnus in a deep discussion.

  
“Today’s the day everything changes, isn’t it?” Dexter asked. From his tone, you’d think he was upset, angry even.

 

“It’s fine, Dex. _I’m_ fine.” She sighed.

 

“You’re not fine, and that’s the problem!” He blurted. “You would have been perfectly alright if none of them walked back into your life. We’d be just live our lives happily without them, and now they waltz back in and everything is going to go back to like it was.”

 

“It’s different this time, trust me,” she pleaded, leaning her hands on the table in front of her. “I like who I am now, and I’m not going to let them change me.”

 

“Will someone just tell us what the hell is going on?” Nathan asked with a huff.

 

“This is my second chance at life, alright?” Sang snapped, pushing away from the table and clenching her fists, turning towards us. “The first time the…” she paused, as if she needed to think over her words, “…the guys I was with were a bunch of assholes to me and left me alone after I sacrificed everything to be with them all. I thought I wanted to be a part of their family, but they all refused until their precious Academy picked me apart piece by piece and then later thought I was special. It was only then that they all thought I was worth keeping around. They all manipulated me, and left me alone and crying in the end.”

 

Nathan and I were speechless.

 

“So, what you were talking about earlier… about polygamy?” I asked quietly.

 

“Legally, I was married to one of the oldest one. But yes, we were all in love in my first life. Well… I thought we were at least.” I visibly saw her hands clench tighter as she looked down at the floor.

 

“Did you ever talk to them again?” Nathan whispered.

 

“No. They all put the Academy before me, so I never had the chance. It’s to be expected, really. I was weaker then, and I let it happen.” She looked up, her eyes locking on me. “I’m not going to make the same mistake.”

 

“Why are you telling us this? I mean, why us specifically?” I blurted, unable to hold back my curiosity.

 

“You’ve gotten to know me in the last few days. I wanted to let you both know the truth before they all start spewing their hatred for me in a few minutes. Just forget I said anything.” She accompanied her statement with a nonchalant shrug, but I could see how tense she was.

 

I opened my mouth to say more, but she pushed by me and moved out of the kitchen.

 

It didn’t long for her to explain and fill in the gaps for the rest of my team about how she came to find me and Nathan. There was some bickering, mainly between Sang and North, but we were all floored when she continued talking.

 

“I’d like to get something cleared up first and foremost: How are you all so sure I'm the one that you're looking for? I mean," she said with a chuckle, "I did kill a _few_ people. But I can't take all the credit. Volto is out there still, you know."

 

“You know who Volto is?” North barked. “Hell, you’re probably working with him to take down the Academy.”

 

“Now, now. Why would I reveal such a thing when you’ve been so mean to me tonight, North? What’s in it for me?” She asked with a fake-pout.

 

“We don’t turn you into the authorities,” Kota said matter-a-factly, rubbing his forehead.

 

“You can’t do that,” she laughed. “I’ll be gone by morning if you do that, and you won’t be able to find me again.”

 

“Thank God for that, then,” North murmured.

 

I saw her instantly tense.

 

“You know what?” She said with a sickly-sweet voice. "I starting to get really sick of your attitude, “You can all get the fuck out of my house. I will _not_ stand here and take you browbeating me after every single thing I say or insinuate that I’m a liar.” She looked at Owen specifically before she addressed everyone else again. “If you don’t want to be here, _fine_. I won’t keep you any longer.”

 

“Sang…” I trailed off.

 

“Miss Sorenson, I apologize for Mr. Taylor's behavior. However, it seems that we don't understand your effort for us to see where you are coming from. We are attempting to listen to you, but we need more information from you before we can go further."

 

“I don’t care anymore. All of you can leave me the fuck alone now that you found Luke and Nathan.” She turned around, heading towards the doorway leading to the hallway. “Dexter and Magnus will show you the way out, in case you’ve forgotten,” She growled.


	13. Chapter 12

** Sang’s Pov **

 

I grabbed Ryzix by the arm, pulling him behind me as I exited.

 

“Sang…” he whispered.

 

“Wait until we’re upstairs,” I said in a choked voice, already finding my eyes flooding and my vision became blurry as I climbed up the stairs and pulled him into my bedroom. My floor was a mess from where Gabriel threw clothes earlier, but I ignored it as I fell into bed.

 

“Why won’t they try to understand?” I whispered brokenly. “I tried to tell Owen, but he just wouldn’t listen.”

 

“Oh, Sang,” Ryzix sighed, crawling in behind me. “It’s going to take more than one emotionally-taxing night to convince them that without you, they’re nothing. Things will work out eventually, I know it.”

 

“They all hate me, don’t they? They think I’m a mindless killer, but I’m trying! They don’t know me, or what I’ve had to do to survive as girl running away from home at sixteen with nothing to her name, or what’s going on in the Academy! They don’t know how it is, because they’re in such a low division!” I cried. “Then I just kicked them out of my house. They’re never going to want to see me again, will they? I feel like I’m sixteen again, and I’m pulling myself apart between trying to put on the act of a heartless person, being myself, and being who they want me to be.”

 

“Shh, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he said, pulling me close and running soothing fingers through my hair as I choked on a sob. “Dexter, Mag, and I know you’re trying your best, and that’s what matters. You’ve made mistakes, but you’ve apologized for them. If they never come back, that’s their own fault and they aren’t worth a second of your time, alright? You’ve done good for yourself without them, so don’t let them bring you down after just a night being around all of them.”

 

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep acting like someone I’m not. I’m a good person, right? I’m doing the right thing, even if I go about it the wrong way sometimes?”

 

“You’ve been doing better ever since we’ve came to Charleston. You’re taking control of your life back into your hands instead of letting the Academy try to control you. Almost everything you’ve done comes down to necessity to earn the Academy’s trust and to make allies. Your boys will see that eventually,” he whispered.

 

“I don’t even know what I want anymore… I’m so confused,” I said with a sniffle. “Trying to have the upper-hand in everything is exhausting me, but I can’t help but to want to make them see things my way. Using the information I know from my past is just hurting my chances with them, but I want them to understand that I’m still _me_ , even if they don’t know me. It’s so hard and I’m constantly conflicted.”   

 

“We’re confused too, sweetie. Just don’t worry about anything tonight, and sleep. It’s been an emotionally taxing night, and we’ll handle everything tomorrow,” he whispered softly, stroking my hair gently until I finally fell asleep.

 

A few hours later, I woke up to whispering going on around me, but it quieted quickly when I stretched my legs out from the ball I was curled up in.

 

“Go back to sleep. It’s nothing important, just a quick update,” Magnus murmured next to me before I felt the bed dip on the opposite side than Ryzix was on, and an arm drape across my waist. I snuggled into the warmth on either side of me, and soon enough, I was back in the land of dreams.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The boys gave me a few days to mope around in bed before they reprimanded me for being lazy and wasting training time. I knew that they didn’t mind the break from the rigorous workout, but they knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist an argument like that. However, they probably regretted it now that they got me out of bed, as I increased our workout time by at least two hours, wanting to distract myself.

 

It wasn’t until a week after I saw the Blackbourne team that I was forced to actually leave my house.

 

“You got a phone call. They want you to come in tonight for the banquet,” Dexter said when I came inside after an independent workout session.

 

“Thanks for informing before I got all sweaty,” I muttered. “Did they happen to say why? We haven’t been in town for long, so I don’t see why we need to be there.”

 

“Not really, just that they needed your opinion on a situation after the festivities. Ryzix and Magnus are getting ready now.”

 

I shrugged, not bothered at all that they were coming with me, even when they weren’t specifically invited. Tonight wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but definitely not within my job description. However, these types of events typically paid off, gaining a few favors for my team, not that we’d used them.

 

“What time do we have to be there?” I asked.

 

“It starts at seven.”

 

I glanced at the clock, seeing that it was five-thirty already and sighed. Running towards the stairs and into the bathroom, I took a quick shower. After a half-an-hour in there, I wrapped a towel around myself before heading towards my room. After a few minutes of indecision, I grabbed a long, wine red dress that slipped off the shoulders I kept at the back of my closet and threw it on quickly. Adjusting it in the mirror, I headed towards the bathroom, where I quickly blow-dried my hair and ran a flat iron through it before applying a light coat of makeup.

 

_‘This isn’t the first time I’ve wished Gabriel was here so I didn’t have to deal with all this girly shit…’_

Racing down the stairs, I almost knocked Ryzix over.

 

“Whoa! Where’s the fire?!” He laughed, catching me before either of us could fall.

 

“We have to be there by seven, don’t we?” I asked, breathlessly.

 

Dexter spoke up. “You’re right on time, and you look fantastic, but may I make a suggestion?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Typically, when someone’s leaving the house, they usually make a point to put shoes on,” he murmured.

 

I groaned, turning back around and running back up the stairs, grabbing the first pair of black heels I could find.

 

Grabbing the keys to Magnus’ car once I got back downstairs, we set off on the hour drive into the Academy building here in Charleston. I’d acquainted myself with the building a long time ago, but in the last two months, I’d seen more parts of this sector of the Academy than I ever saw before. Whether that was because of my lack of knowledge of the Academy in my first life, or my position in the Academy in this one, I couldn’t be sure.

 

If I had to pick a favorite sector of the Academy here in America, it was the New York. The area in general wasn’t to my liking, but it was where all the big dogs played, and I loved every second I was there. Not many of those I trained with were nice or gentle, which enforced the realism of how the world worked outside of the quaint southern states. It was in New York that I found Magnus, and they honed in on my skills as a hitman.

 

We pulled into the parking lot behind the old factory building that stood as a cover for the Charleston Academy. Because of my travelling, Charleston considered me on a loan program, and gave my team and I temporary keycards to the place that would expire within a year’s time. Making sure my heels were strapped on, I got out of the car and waved my card in front of the scanner, huffing when it let me in easily.

 

_‘Shouldn’t they be more worried about someone getting in when they shouldn’t? Hell, they just let a killer through the door without a thought…’_

It appeared that it would be a busy night, as the conference-hall-turned- ballroom was crowded with all different teams from all over the states.

 

“Have fun night, and don’t kill anyone unless it’s necessary!” Dexter called out, grabbing a drink off the nearest table and heading in the opposite direction, probably going to meet some old friends he had before teaming up with me.

 

If I had glanced back at him, I might have caught the small, mischievous grin he shared with Ryz and Magnus.


	14. Chapter 13

** Sang’s Pov **

 

"Sang! So nice to see you again after all these years!"

 

I turned around at the familiar voice, automatically placing a fake smile on my face. Meredith Nixon, Academy princess and Head of the New York unit was heading towards me, arms outstretched for a hug. She was a young woman, no older than her late twenties most likely. She had short, black hair that hung straight just below her chin. She was neither a friend nor foe, but she was my biggest ally it came to the Academy, allowing me to rise up into the position I was in today.

 

 "Miss Nixon, likewise. I have to say that this place looks absolutely beautiful, but nothing can top that dress," I said with a wink. She was wearing a silver beaded dress that showed off more skin than was necessary in public. If I wasn't as comfortable with myself, I would have had to avert my eyes out of embarrassment.

 

“I’ve told you before, Sang. Call me Meredith, please. Now, why don’t you introduce me to these two men.” She grinned, waving a hand towards Ryzix and Magnus.

 

“This is Ryzix and Magnus, two of the three boys on my team. I told them I would be fine to come alone, and accept whatever assignment given to me tonight, but they _insisted_ on accompanying me," I said with a sweet smile.

 

“Such wonderful boys you have, then! And so young, too.” Her eyes gleamed hungrily as she looked over Ryzix.

 

“He’s young, but definitely experienced. He’s very uncomfortable with women besides me, however.” I placed a possessive hand on arm as I wrapped my other arm around his waist. She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it came to men, acting sweet but confident until she had them where she wanted them. After that, she used them up until most of them were whimpering fools.

 

If It wasn’t for Academy politics, she’d already be dead.

 

“If you saying so, I guess I’ll have to believe it,” she tittered.

 

A tap on the mic up on stage indicated the start of the banquet.

 

“Oh! Silly me, why don’t you come sit at my table until the speeches are over, then I can tell you more about the task I have for you,” Meredith said with a huge grin, pulling me behind her.

 

“You’re the one who called?” I asked, surprised.

 

“Yes. Didn’t your little friend tell you? The one you brought to New York the last time you were up there… Dexter, I think his name was?”

 

I watched as Ryzix and Magnus went in the opposite direction, giving me an apologetic smile.

 

“No, I can’t say he had the chance to fill me in tonight,” I murmured quietly, my mind distracted with all the types of revenge I could enact on him for allowing me to be off guard. Settling in at her table, I was surrounded by all the Charleston Council members and a few other delegates from the Texas and California Academy.

 

The award ceremony seemed to go off without a hitch, giving out special recognition to teams with successful missions that save the Academy a lot of money, as much as they refused to admit it. I noted that the Blackbourne team was not given an award.

 

Soon enough, the evening was turned over to the dinner portion of the night, which would typically lead into dancing.

 

“Sang Sorenson? Funny seeing you in our neck of the woods,” Dr. Roberts said, joyously. “You don’t seem like the type Meri usually drags behind her.”

 

“She and her team are my special guests for the evening. After the investigations that I’ve conducted this week on the training and team dynamics here in South Carolina, it seems that I need some of my own to whip your dogs into shape,” Meredith said in a sickly-sweet voice. Each member at this table knew that their jobs and careers relied on what she thought of their facility, as a quick word to her retired father could make or break what they’ve established.     

 

“May I ask what teams seemed to need more training, as you said?” Dr. Roberts asked.

 

“I’m not sure if I remember their name right, but I’d recog-Ah! There’s one of their team leads right now! Excuse me, ladies and gents,” she stated, standing up and grabbing my arm again.

 

“You’ll love them, trust me,” she said with a grin, hurrying along. “They’re young, cute, and in need of a female’s touch. I’m sure that once you work your magic, they’ll be perfectly moldable in any way you like."

 

She stopped just before a table across the ballroom from ours, tapping her manicured finger on one of the men's shoulder who was standing up. "Excuse me, I need to talk to you."

 

He turned around and I couldn't help but to let out a small gasp.

 

Dakota Lee, in the flesh and fully awake this time.

 

"Oh, do you know each other?" Meredith clapped, "This is great!"

 

"I can't say I've had the pleasure to properly talk with him, but yes. We know each other, in a way," I said.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" North growled standing up from his seat.

 

North Taylor! Isn't he such a pleasure?" She sighed dreamily, but I couldn't help but snort.

 

"“To each their own, I guess,” I muttered. “Now what is this all about?”

 

“You’ll just think this is awfully dreadful, Sang! I was informed a few days ago that the Blackbourne team was to be sent on a mission to hunt down that elusive Charleston Killer that’s popped up recently. They ran into some mishap, and ended up losing them in the process! Didn’t even get one shot in! So, I came up with a solution… to have some extensive training done for this team! And who better to do it than one of my favorite fighters in the world?!” She exclaimed, pulling on my arm. “So, will you do it?”

 

I looked over the apprehensive and, frankly, hateful group in front of me.

 

_‘This has to be a dream... or a nightmare, really.’_

 

“It’ll be a waste of my time.” I smirked, pleased to see their shock at my words. “They wouldn’t last a day in training with me.”

 

“Come on, Sangie! They obviously need a lot of work, and I know you love a hopeless project!”

 

“We’re sitting right here,” Gabriel muttered sulkily.

 

“What’s in it for me, besides having more things to do in my day than normal?” I asked, ignoring him.

  
"Hmm, what would a girl like you even want?" Meredith said, a twinkle gleaming in her eye.

 

I paused for a moment, thinking over the advantages this could possibly give me. "I'm sure we could find something you can pay me with. We'll consider it a favor, of sorts, until a later date," I smiled, holding a hand out to her.

 

"Why do I feel like this will be a huge mistake?" She grinned, looking regretful, but shaking my hand anyway. "I'll leave you all alone to get acquainted better. I see someone over there that I'd like to _acquaint_ myself with," she whispered, her eyes already on her new victim.

 

"Wait!" I yelled, not wanting to be left alone with them just yet, but she was already weaving through the crowd.

 

Everyone was silent, not wanting to be the first to speak.

 

Owen cleared his throat. "Well, Miss Sorenson, it's certainly a surprise to see you here."

 

The rest of the boys went slack-jawed, staring at their very own Mr. Blackbourne speaking with their enemy _civilly._

 

"I'm surprised to see you all here, as well. When I used to go to these types of banquets, it was usually used for chatting up the higher-ups and job distribution under the guise of pretty dresses. It seems Meredith doesn't forget that," I muttered.

 

"Why are you so surprised? How are you sure we weren't given an assignment?" Victor asked.

 

"Because you're all _my_ assignment," I said slowly.

 

"What does that entail, exactly?" Kota questioned, fixing his glasses on his nose.

 

"It'll be simple. You'll be training with me for a week, before I break you all up and focus on your individual skill sets. We wouldn't want another mishap where you couldn't shoot one little girl, can we?" I couldn't help but to feel satisfied when they flushed a bright red color.

 

“But you’re going to be training us to shoot _you_ ,” Nathan pointed out, looking nervous.

 

“Yes, isn’t that convenient for me?”

 

"So, what are you doing here? How do you know Meredith Nixon?" Luke asked.

 

“An old Academy friend. We’re practically best friends.” I cringed, imagining the sounds Meredith would make if she overheard me say that. "On my travels through New York, Meredith and I got to know one another, and relies on my opinion on certain situations.”

 

“Why doesn’t the Academy have a database on you?” Victor asked, skeptically.

 

I snorted. “Charleston will never have any paperwork on me. They aren’t high up enough on the food chain to even know a thing about me besides my name.”

 

“But you’re Academy. Who do you report to? Meredith?” Kota inquired, his eyes curious.

 

“I don’t _report_ to anyone. I get _suggested_ jobs that I have every right to decline, even if they come from Miss Nixon. I have control of every mission my team and I get, and it’s the Academy that caters to us, not the other way around,” I snapped. It wasn’t a blatant lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. The Academy catered to no one, but as a ghost bird, I definitely had more leeway to do things. Meredith’s favoritism only assisted me in getting what I wanted.    

 

“That includes this job. I value what Meredith is trying to do while she’s here, so I’ve agreed to help out. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, I expect you all at my house at ten tomorrow and not a minute late.”

 

I turned around, facing the crowd of dancers and took a deep breath, my eyes closed.

 

_‘If they know what’s good for them, they’ll leave me alone tonight…’_

Opening my eyes, I spotted Ryzix across the room, surrounded by a group of giggling girls. Searching around the room, I found that Dexter and Magnus were otherwise occupied, so it was now my job to save Ryzix.

 

I took a deep breath before stepping towards the crowd, reminding myself that I only had to push my way through to Ryzix and I’d be okay. I could do this. No one could hurt me here.

 

I was halfway through the crowd before a hand encircled my wrist. A spike of fear went off in my chest, and it took all my might not to turn around and attack whoever was touching me. Time felt like it slowed down suddenly, and I blocked out the sounds in the room.

 

“Sang,” a gruff voice said.

 

I turned around in surprise, finding myself face to face with North. I couldn’t tell if it was him or my vision that was swaying at the moment.

 

“What do you want?” I asked evenly, taking in uneven breaths as I tried to calm my heartbeat.

 

“I want to… apologize. For how I acted a week ago, I mean. I should have heard what you had to say first.”

 

Oh, really?" I asked, looking him up and down. 

 

_'Maybe he really has changed...'_

 

"Yes. Blackbourne explained to us about your problem, and told us to be gentle with you," he said with an exaggerated nod.

 

It felt like a bucket of cold water poured over me as time seemed to resume and the deafening sounds of the banquet came back to me.

 

“I’m not dealing with this tonight,” I snapped, pushing away from him and headed towards Ryzix again, finding him alone now.

 

“Wait!” He yelled behind me, but I didn’t look back, not stopping until I reached Ryzix.

 

“Sang,” he said with a smile until he looked at my face. “What happened, sweetie?”

 

“North… Meredith… mission…” I could barely get my sentence out before North was next to me.

 

“Damn, you move fast,” he huffed. “Now why won’t you accept my apology?”

 

“What apology?” Ryzix asked, his eyebrows raised.

 

“He’s apologizing for his behavior at the house now that he knows I’m _crazy_ ,” I snapped.

 

“Who said you’re crazy?” He frowned. “Owen?”

 

I silently nodded.

 

He began rolling up his suit sleeves. “Where’s Dexter and Mag? We’ll be sure to teach him a lesson for talking about you like that.”

 

“Ryz, it’s fine,” I sighed.

 

“It’s not _fine_ if he’s insinuating that you’re insane.” He looked at North, glowering. “What did Luke and Nathan say to that?”

 

“They didn’t say anything. They just sat there during the meeting, only talking to each other.”

 

"Then let’s just get this straight: if you're all going to continue to be jackasses to her, then leave her the fuck alone. She doesn’t need you harassing her and acting like she’s insane."

 

"She _is_ crazy," he muttered.

 

"She's not _fucking_ crazy. I’d like to see you spend one day in her shoes, and live the life she’s had to, and act any differently. I won’t stand here and let you berate her, you got that?” Ryzix snapped, stepping up to North and getting in his face. This was a difficult thing to do, however, as North was at least a head and a half taller than him.

 

“What are you going to do about it? Are you going to drug me and beat me to a pulp until I listen, like you did to Nathan?” He asked snidely, widening his stance and seemingly getting ready to fight him, though something wasn’t right.

 

I couldn’t place it earlier when he was close to me, but looking at him now, I connected the dots. A quick sniff sent me back in time, it seemed.

 

_‘He has alcohol in his system… Luke smelled like smoke and wasn’t eating… Oh my god, this is just like after the mission when I was nineteen’._

“Oh my god,” I whispered, taking a step back and wishing I could run far, far away from here. I was starting to feel lightheaded.

 

The mission was a bad one, where some of the boys were uncover for months as male dancers at a nightclub. We argued so much before they accepted the mission, but some of them were distant when they came back. They were disgusted with themselves, for having to act the way they did. _‘How could I be so stupid… Of course, they still went on that mission even if I wasn’t there. This also means I wasn’t there to pull them back from the edge, either.’_   

 

“What’s wrong? Sang?” A voice said behind me. I whipped around quickly, causing myself to stumble.

 

“Dexter,” I choked out, eyes starting to water as memory after memory hit me. "Help."

 

He seemed to sense the fear in me as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close and shielding me as I hyperventilated.

 

“Ryzix.” He said sternly. “Grab Magnus and let’s get home.”

 

“But Dexter…”

 

“What did I say?” He snapped. “We need to get out of here.”

 

“Fine,” I heard him mutter.

 

Dexter bent down and hooked his arm around the back of my knees, hauling me up into his arms and close to his chest. “Obviously, tonight was too soon. Don’t break down yet,” he murmured.

 

“Hate…you,” I said, barely getting passed my lips as I tried to catch my breath. I closed my eyes, trying to relax myself before I pass out.

 

“Sure you do. Now I’m going to get you outside.” I felt him begin to move, and I turned my face into his chest, hoping to block everything else out.

 

“Is she okay?” I heard Meredith’s sultry voice from in front of me.

 

“She’s just tired and she knows we’ll have a busy day tomorrow,” he answered.

 

“Oh, poor Sang! I wish I had a man like you to take care of me, Dexie.” I could hear the little pout in her voice and it took all my might not to gag.

 

“Yeah. She’s really lucky,” he muttered under his breath.  

 

He started walking again and soon enough, the cold hit my back, indicating that we made it out of there with no more incidences. I felt like I could breathe again now that fresh air was around me.

 

I couldn’t resist looking up at his face, only to find him looking straight ahead, his face grim with his intent to get me to the car.

 

“Thank you, Dex,” I murmured. “I’m still mad at you for getting me involved in this job, but I owe you one.”

 

“No problem, Sang. You know we’ll always bail you out of the trouble you get into.”

 

“Wait up! What the hell’s wrong with her?” North’s voice broke through the silence surrounding the parking lot.

 

_‘So much for “no more incidences”.’_

“She’s fine. She’ll see you tomorrow,” Dexter called over his shoulder, not faltering in his step.

 

“I want an explanation first,” I heard him say before I felt rather than saw Dexter’s shoulder being yanked back.

 

“I suggest taking your hand off of me,” Dexter said calmly, but didn’t turn around. I looked up at his face, but he expressed no emotion at all towards the situation. "I have Sang in my arms and, as much as you might not like her, I don't really think you want to see her hurt."

“Don’t act like you know what’s going on in my head!” He snapped.

 

“But don’t I? You wouldn’t have become this drunk, or tried to apologize to her if you didn’t care even the slightest about her wellbeing.”

 

“She hurt my brother. How could I care about her?” He growled.

 

His hands clenched into my skin, and pulled me closer as I felt his pulse pick up in speed. _‘Oh, he’s getting angry now…’_

“"She never touched your brother unnecessarily. She carried him into the safety of our home, fed him, and talked to him. She was never rough with Luke, and after the first night, she wasn't rough with Nathan either. She gave both of them various opportunities to allow them to leave, especially Luke. So, by approaching her now, even after she tried to get away from you, and continue to accuse her of things she didn't do, you are bullying her."

 

He jerked his shoulder forward, bringing it out of North's grasp and he whipped around. "Does _this_ look like a girl that came here to hurt you or your family? Like a girl that even _knew_  you'd all be here tonight." I looked from Dexter's face to North's dark eyes, which widened when mine settled on his face. I could only imagine what I looked like right now, with tears freshly drying on my face.

 

“She came here on my request, but I regret it now. Don’t bother showing up tomorrow if you decide to be in this state tomorrow,” Dexter snapped. “Go ahead and pass that on to your _family_ as well. We won’t tolerate her being mistreated by any of you.”

 

He didn’t give him any time to respond before he turned back around and stomped towards the car.

 

“Thank you for understanding,” I whispered.

 

“I won’t accept your thanks until you kick his ass tomorrow.”


End file.
